From Bitterness to Forgiveness
he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
Bitterness can’t withstand the transforming power of the Holy Spirit. That’s what God revealed after bringing me through the Rwandan genocide.
When I was only 6, my grandmother and uncle — who were taking care of me — were both killed by our neighbors when tribal unrest broke out in Rwanda. My whole life was shattered. The little faith I had was gone, and I often wondered why my life was spared in those months of horror.
A first glimpse of hope came into my life when I received my Operation Christmas Child shoebox gift. At my orphanage, many children were displaced, so to have my own gift was special. Joy overwhelmed me, as I had toys to play with and a comb I kept for years, but the most profound impact was realizing someone around the world was thinking about me. That planted a seed of hope during a time when I felt lost.
A year later, God began revealing the miracles He’d done to save my life. I gave my life to the Lord and started abiding in Him daily, as Jesus instructs in John 15:5:
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.”
The more I abided in God, the more He pruned away my bitterness. Abiding was the only way I could heal from such pain.
In my healing process, I prayed that I’d meet those who killed my family. While I wanted to face the people responsible for so much pain in my life, I also prayed God would give me strength to forgive. God diligently weeded out the bitterness in my heart, making room for His fruit of forgiveness.
In 2013, on a return trip to Rwanda, God answered my prayer. I visited the man responsible for killing my uncle, and by God’s grace, I shared that I forgave him.
What started with a shoebox gift led to my salvation, healing and ultimately miraculous forgiveness.
I’m not perfect at abiding in God. For a time, I was even angry at God for my pain — but in anger, I was blinded to the miracles God did to save me and glorify His name. I’m challenged to abide in Jesus daily because my healing process is ongoing.
We may never forget pain, but we don’t have to live bound to bitterness. I pray you take your next step toward forgiveness. Do you need to stop blaming Jesus for past hurts and instead accept Him as your Lord and Savior? Do you need to forgive someone or ask for forgiveness? Or you may live in peace, but you still need to share the gospel with someone. Whatever the case, may you abide in Jesus and allow Him to transform your heart.
God, thank You for forgiving our sins against You. Uproot bitterness in our hearts, and bear forgiveness in us as a fruit of Your Spirit. As You walk us through healing, help us abide in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Jesus Wants You To Know...
"Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2
Am I Really Saved?
๐ค๐๐ฒ๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐ ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐น๐ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ?
First let us
understand what salvation is.
๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป?
Firstly, we
need to talk about salvation. If we do not have a scriptural understanding of
salvation, how can we know whether we truly have it? Salvation is simply the
deliverance from sin through faith in Jesus Christ. A person is truly saved
when He accepts that he is a sinner, repents for his sins, and by faith,
accepts the free gift of salvation made possible by Jesus’ sacrifice on the
cross as revealed in the Bible.
๐๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป
To know whether
you are saved, you need to look at yourself in the light of the Scriptures. If
you are sure that you have repented of your sins, and believe that Jesus Christ
died on the cross for your sins, you will doubtless see the following evidence in
your life.
๐ญ. ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ – ๐ ๐ก๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐
Once saved, the
Bible says we are new creations in Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We are no
longer slaves of sin. Jesus has set us free not only from the condemnation and
effects of sin, but also from the power of sin over us.
Romans 8:1-2
๐ช๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐ป
Freedom from
sin does not mean that we should continue to sin:
Romans 6:1-5
๐โ๐๐ก ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐กโ๐๐? ๐โ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐, ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐? ๐บ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ป๐๐ค ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐, ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐๐? ๐พ๐๐๐ค ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ก, ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ถโ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ? ๐โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ โ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ: ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ถโ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐น๐๐กโ๐๐, ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ โ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐น๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ค๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ, ๐ค๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐.
๐พ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ , ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ โ๐๐, ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ฆ๐๐, ๐กโ๐๐ก โ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐กโ ๐ค๐ ๐ โ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ ๐๐. ๐น๐๐ โ๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐. ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐ถโ๐๐๐ ๐ก, ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ค๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ โ๐๐: ๐พ๐๐๐ค๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ถโ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐; ๐๐๐๐กโ โ๐๐กโ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ โ๐๐. ๐น๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก โ๐ ๐๐๐๐, โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐: ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก โ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐กโ, โ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐กโ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐บ๐๐. ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐บ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ถโ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐. ๐ฟ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ก ๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ, ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐ ๐ โ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐๐. ๐๐๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐โ๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐: ๐๐ข๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐บ๐๐, ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐บ๐๐. ๐น๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข: ๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ค, ๐๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐. ๐โ๐๐ก ๐กโ๐๐? ๐ โ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐ ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ค, ๐๐ข๐ก ๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐? ๐บ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐พ๐๐๐ค ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ก, ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ก๐ ๐คโ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ, โ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐คโ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ; ๐คโ๐๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ, ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ? ๐ต๐ข๐ก ๐บ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐ข๐ก ๐ฆ๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ โ๐๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐โ ๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข. ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐, ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ . ๐ผ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ โ: ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ฆ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ฆ; ๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ . ๐น๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐, ๐ฆ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐โ๐ก๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ . ๐โ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก โ๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฆ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ค ๐๐ โ๐๐๐๐? ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ. ๐ต๐ข๐ก ๐๐๐ค ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ก๐ ๐บ๐๐, ๐ฆ๐ โ๐๐ฃ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ก ๐ข๐๐ก๐ โ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ , ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐น๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ; ๐๐ข๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐บ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐ข๐โ ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐ถโ๐๐๐ ๐ก ๐๐ข๐ ๐ฟ๐๐๐.
