Hindering Your Spiritual Growth

Several things can hinder your spiritual growth. Bitterness and anger are a few examples. Bitterness is storing up feelings of resentment and anger towards someone. Doing this only holds you captive to sin. It opens the door for the enemy to influence you to sin. Get rid of bitterness by choosing forgiveness. It’s the only way to free yourself from these negative feelings.

We can have feelings of anger, but we must be in control of our emotions. We cannot allow anger to control us. When this happens, anger causes us to sin. Acting out of anger is an example. Try to respond instead of reacting. This may require you to step away from the situation for a moment to think about your response. This is the best way to prevent an emotional reaction which usually causes more problems. But if you can respond in that moment instead of reacting, then do so.

Choose to be kind, loving, and forgiving. Ask God for the wisdom, strength, and courage to know when to speak and when to be quiet. If you find it difficult to forgive, ask God to help you do it. Doing this will give you peace and allow you to grow spiritually.

“Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: neither give place to the devil.” (Ephesians 4:26-27)

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:31-32)