“I don’t think anything could be as lovely as having the ability to lovingly trust one, never placing faith in other people yet never being suspicious and bitter. To only have confidence in God and in what God’s grace can do for people. To never despair and never give up hope for any person. There is only one Being who can completely satisfy the absolute depth of the hurting human heart and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.”

This has been one of my favorite quotes for a long time. It is based on something that Oswald Chambers wrote and I love the way it puts God in His rightful place and people in their proper place as well. It also points to the incredible gift of the Holy Spirit- how He dwells within believers. The truth of His presence in our hearts fills us with a steady, unchanging hope for ourselves and the people in our lives.

Jesus talks about how our love for our family should look like hate compared to our love for the Lord. In the same way, our trust in God and what His Spirit can do in our hearts should far outweigh any trust we put in each other.

Sadly, we are living in a world full of bitterness and suspicion. I understand and experience the temptation to let the brokenness of this world lead me to despair. Those who should be providing safety, cause pain and suffering. We will always be letting each other down. We cannot meet each other’s deepest needs- only the God who made us and laid down His life for us is able to.

What do we do though when we are hurt by another’s actions?

How can we fight against the temptation to grow bitter?

Here are 3 truths to hold on to:

1. Jesus will always be our faithful and true friend. He sticks closer than a brother. Because He laid down His life for us, we can be confident of His lovingkindness- Jesus is the friend who will never fail or disappoint us. Even in the chaos of life, He remains steadfast.
2. It is by the grace of God we are who we are. Don’t fall in the trap of thinking we would never do what we see others doing. If the circumstances and stressors are right, we are capable of committing any sin. Instead trust in the power of God to protect us from the evil one.
3. Remember to be thankful for and rely on the gift of the Holy Spirit. As believers in Christ, we don’t do this life alone. Even in all of our weaknesses and failures, we can be sure that if someone is a true believer, the Spirit will continually transform us as He guides us into all truth through the Bible, convicts us of sin and causes us to follow Jesus.

Because of the Holy Spirit, we can overflow with hope as God’s love fills our heart. We can be confident in His work in our lives, for it is not by our own strength and might we live, but by the spirit. The next time we are disappointed and let down, we don’t have to give up hope for anyone for we know the power of God and His Spirit will be at work. May the Lord help us be confident in what His grace can do in a life through the power of His Holy Spirit!