The Senior Pastor of Help from Above Healing and Deliverance Ministry Worldwide, Pastor Godwin Ube, has enjoined Christians to eschew bitterness but embrace the spirit of forgiveness
He gave the advice in his Sunday sermon in Abuja.
Pastor Ube speaking on what he tagged ” The Prisoner of Bitterness” from Proverb chapter 22 verse 24-25 urged Christians to take a step further by learning to forgive even before offences are committed because they can’t live in isolation.
One of the deadly enemies of destiny is the lifestyle of strife and bitterness. This also refers to competitive jealousy and comparison.
“I will like you to take note of the following: Progress is arrested when bitterness is in place, You stop moving forward in life when you agree to strive with your neighbour.
“Focus is distracted where bitterness is established. Whenever you agree to strive with someone, your focus is distracted; another person’s success becomes your focus when strife is in place and where there is no focus, disaster is inevitable”.
Pastor Ube who explained that Competition is equals to limitation stressed that bitterness starts from the very little things and graduates to grudge, bitterness, strife, malice, and determined unforgiveness.
“Bitterness makes you fall short of the grace of God and you need grace to excel in life. It might not be easy at first to let go, but it gets easier with constant practice.
“Every successful family rides on the wings of prompt forgiveness and yours must not be different. Make a choice to instantly let go your offenders today and watch how dramatic and fulfilling the outcome would be for your family and life, in general.
“You cannot become who you are meant to be if your focus is to undo, overdo or outdo someone else. The senior pastor added.
He said the presence of bitterness is the absence of God.
“The presence of bitterness equals the presence of hate because you do not strive with someone you love; and the presence of hate is the absence of God. So, anyone that strives with his neighbour and hates him has eliminated God from his life because God is love.
“Beloved, my counsel is: deliver yourself from the lifestyle of bitterness because it is a killer of joy, and your joy is necessary for your destiny fulfilment.
You cannot be joyful when you are in bitterness and hatred. Pastor Ube said.
“Be contented with what you have while working and trusting God for more, and live in love with everyone”
The Senior Pastor who explained that no matter how nice one is people will offend you added that for anyone to enjoy divine peace, he or she must endure bitterness.
Pastor Ube who stressed that prompt forgiveness is therefore the only way to be free from any iota of bitterness added that harbouring grudges will shut the gates of Heaven against God’s children.
