READ: EPHESIANS 4:25-32; HEBREWS 12:14-15

Apart from watching my brothers play baseball and basketball, I wasn’t much of a sports fan as a kid. Then at 19, I decided to try something new. I applied to join the group of girls who supported the baseball team at my college. I hadn’t developed a new interest in baseball; I simply wanted to find a fun activity.

Surprisingly, I passed the first round of the application and then moved on to interviews. I needed to make a good impression but didn’t know what to wear. My friend Rachel had also applied to join this group, but she hadn’t advanced to the interview round. She suggested I wear a new dress of hers. I still remember feeling confident and well-dressed as I sat for the interview. Ultimately, I didn’t get chosen. I’m glad now because it wasn’t the right fit for me. But Rachel’s kindness and generosity, especially when she could have chosen to withhold her support due to her own disappointment, impacted me in a lasting way.

When we witness others experiencing success that we failed to achieve for ourselves, or see somebody else receiving what we want, seeds of bitterness can start to take root in our hearts. It might look like refusing to congratulate friends for their achievements, secretly hoping a person might fail, or minimizing their accomplishments to make ourselves feel better.

What does God want for His children? Not all that. If we’ve trusted in Jesus to pay for our sins on the cross and bring us forgiveness through His resurrection, we have God’s Spirit living in us. And He unifies us with other believers who also have His Spirit! So, with His Spirit in us, we have the power to get rid of the bitterness that harms our relationships—and live in gospel-centered unity instead. When seeds of bitterness show up in our hearts, we can bring them straight to Jesus. Through the Holy Spirit, we can acknowledge our disappointment and still build others up with His kindness and compassion. • Allison Wilson Lee

• Can you think of a time when it was hard to celebrate for your friends? Why do you think that was?

• Can you think of a time when someone really celebrated with you? What was that like? Consider thanking God for this and asking Him to help you notice opportunities to celebrate with others.

• How can trusting Jesus Christ for our identity help us throw off bitterness? How does knowing that we are infinitely valuable in God’s eyes affect how we view any lack of success?

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)