Category: Mindful Bible Reads

A grudge is a deep, long-lasting feeling of resentment or anger toward someone you believe has wronged you.

How to overcome it?
Seek repentance and pray for God’s help in forgiving the person. God’s help is clear: if we expect to receive forgiveness from God, we are accountable to forgive those who have wronged us(Matt 18:21-35; Luke 6:36).

According to Luke 6:27-36, love your enemies and do good to those who hate you. Ask God to bless the people who ask for bad things to happen to you. Pray for the people who are mean to you. If someone hits you on the side of your face, let them hit the other side too. If someone takes your coat, don’t stop them from taking your shirt too. Give to everyone who asks you for something. When someone takes something that is yours, don’t ask for it back. Do for others what you want them to do for you. “If you love only those who love you, should you get any special praise for doing that? No, even sinners love those who love them! If you do good only to those who do good to you, should you get any special praise for doing that? No, even sinners do that! If you lend things to people, always expecting to get something back, should you get any special praise for that? No, even sinners lend to other sinners so that they can get back the same amount! “ I’m telling you to love your enemies and do good to them. Lend to people without expecting to get anything back. If you do this, you will have a great reward. You will be children of the Most High God. Yes, because God is good even to the people who are full of sin and not thankful. Give love and mercy the same as your Father gives love and mercy.

Ephesians 4:25-32 teaches us to stop telling lies and always speak the truth to each other because we all belong to each other in the same body. “When you are angry, don’t let that anger make you sin,” and don’t stay angry all day. Don’t give the devil a way to defeat you. Whoever has been stealing must stop it and start working. They must use their hands for doing something good. Then they will have something to share with those who are poor. When you talk, don’t say anything bad. Instead, say the good things that people need—whatever will help them grow stronger. Then what you say will be a blessing to those who hear you. And don’t make the Holy Spirit* sad. God gave you his Spirit as proof that you belong to him and that he will keep you safe until the day he makes you free. Never be bitter, angry, or mad. Never shout angrily or say things to hurt others. Never do anything evil. Be kind and loving to each other. Forgive each other the same as God forgave you through Christ.

Don’t try to punish anyone who does wrong to you. Wait for God to punish them with his anger. It is written: “I am the one who punishes; I will pay people back,” says the Lord (Romans 12:19).

Addiction is an inability to stop using a substance or engaging in behavior even though it may cause psychological or physical harm.

Proverbs 23:29-35 explains who tends to get into fights and arguments. Who gets hurt for no reason and has red, bloodshot eyes? People who stay out too late, drinking wine and staring into their strong drinks. So be careful with wine. It is pretty and red, sparkling in the cup. And it goes down so smoothly when you drink it. But in the end, it will bite like a snake. Wine will cause you to see strange things and to say things that make no sense. When you lie down, you will think you are on a rough sea and feel like you are at the top of the mast. You will say, “They hit me, but I never felt it. They beat me, but I don’t remember it. Now I can’t wake up. I need another drink.”

How to overcome Addiction?
Realizing that God is a source of unlimited power and love is the first step. He intends to have a close relationship with you and utilize His power in your life. Pray to God and ask Him to help you overcome your addiction.

In Psalm 40, 11-17 we see David’s prayer of both a request and a confession, asking God for mercy and protection while acknowledging the psalmist’s own sinfulness and vulnerability.

Lord, do not hide your mercy from me. Let your love and loyalty always protect me. Troubles have surrounded me. They are too many to count! My sins have caught me, and I cannot escape them. They are more than the hairs on my head. I have lost my courage. Please, Lord, rescue me! Lord, hurry and help me! People are trying to kill me. Please disappoint them. Humiliate them completely! They wanted to hurt me. Make them run away in shame! May those who make fun of me be too embarrassed to speak! But may those who come to you be glad and rejoice. May those who love being saved by you always be able to say, “Praise the Lord?” My Lord, I am only a poor, helpless man, but please pay attention to me. You are my helper, the one who can save me. My God, don’t be too late.

In Psalm 116: 1-7, God answers David’s prayers
I love the Lord for hearing me, for listening to my prayers. Yes, he paid attention to me, so I will always call him whenever I need help. Death’s ropes were around me. The grave was closing in on me. I was worried and afraid. Then I called on the Lord’s name. I said, “Lord, save me!” The Lord is good and merciful; our God is so kind. The Lord takes care of helpless people. I was without help, and he saved me. My soul, relax! The Lord is caring for you.

2 Corinthians 5:16-21, explains
Don’t think of anyone as the world thinks of people. It is true that in the past we thought of Christ as the world thought. But we don’t think that way now. When anyone is in Christ, it is a whole new world. The old things are gone; suddenly, everything is new! All this is from God. Through Christ, God made peace between himself and us. And God gave us the work of bringing people into peace with Him. I mean that God was in Christ, making peace between the world and him. In Christ, God did not hold people guilty for their sins. And he gave us this message of peace to tell people. So we have been sent to speak for Christ. It is like God is calling to people through us. We speak for Christ when we beg you to be at peace with God. Christ had no sin, but God made him become send so that in Christ we could be right with God.

Stop living the way you used to live. That old self becomes increasingly worse because people are fooled by the evil they want to do. You must be made new in your hearts and in your thinking. Be that new person who was made to be like God, truly good and pleasing to him (Ephesians 4:22-24).

How to face a difficult situation?
Wait, trust and remember that God loves you. You can trust Him to sustain you, provide for you and be with you even in the midst of hardship. Jesus guaranteed His followers that they would face hard times (John 16:33), but He promised that He would always be with them (Matthew 28:20).

Facing Fear – Believe
Psalm 27:1-3 is a powerful declaration of fearless confidence in God, portraying Him as the believer’s light, salvation, and fortress, removing all need to fear enemies or overwhelming armies, who will ultimately stumble and fall, leaving the heart secure and unafraid.

Hopelessness – Draw Near
Psalm 27:4-6 expresses the psalmist’s deep desire to dwell with God, finding ultimate joy in His presence (“gazing on His beauty”) above all else, even amidst troubles, because God promises to protect and hide those who seek Him, lifting them above enemies, leading to joyful worship and praise, even in hardship.

Pain – Receive
Psalm 27:7-12 is a prayer of a desperate, yet hopeful plea in which David asks God to hear him, show mercy, and not hide His face, even when feeling forsaken (like by his parents) or facing intense opposition (from enemies and false witnesses). He seeks God’s presence and guidance (“Teach me your way”) as his greatest need, contrasting his reliance on God with his enemies’ failure, and ultimately finds courage in the belief that he will see God’s goodness in the “land of the living”.

Uncertainty – Trust
Psalm 27:13-14 is a powerful message of enduring faith and hope, encouraging believers to trust God’s goodness even in hardship, urging them to “Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”

Colossians 3:12-17 is a practical guide to Christian living, urging believers, as God’s chosen people, to “put on” Christ-like virtues such as compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, and to forgive one another as we have been forgiven.

Controlling your Temper

Many people struggle with a quick or fiery temper. Although society often encourages people to express themselves and not hold back, God’s Word teaches that giving in to one’s temper is a sin. The Bible has a lot to say about the importance of controlling one’s temper. It calls a person who easily loses his temper a “fool”. As children of God, we are called to love others (John 13:35; Ephesians 4:2, 31-32) and to be at peace (James 1:19; James 3:17-18).

In Proverbs, 14: 17, 29, we study – A quick-tempered person does stupid things, but it is also true that people don’t like anyone who quietly plans evil. Those who control their anger have great understanding; those with a hasty temper will make mistakes. (15:18) The Lord hates the offerings of the wicked, but he is happy to hear the prayers of those who live right. (19:11) Experience makes you more patient, and you are most patient when you ignore insults. (29:22) an angry person causes arguments, and someone who is quick-tempered is guilty of many sins.

With the Holy Spirit in our lives, we will show the fruit of His work inside us. The fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) these are essential to controlling the tendency to lose our temper. We may often feel justified in losing our temper, particularly when someone has hurt or offended us. But we are instructed to forgive (Matthew 5:44; 6:12; 18:21–22), not yield to anger or seek vengeance.

It’s important to note that anger is a valid emotion and is not always sinful. God allows for “righteous anger,” which is anger with the proper focus, the proper motivation, the proper control, the proper duration, and the proper result. Our problem is that our temper is often motivated by selfishness and directed toward other people instead of toward sin. That’s why God tells us to “let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) . . . be banished from you” (Ephesians 4:31).

In general terms… Walking away from a triggering situation can be an excellent way to take control of your anger. When a conversation gets heated, take a break.