There are NO justified resentments.

[Original_Intent]

Resentment is “bitterness at having been mistreated”… PAST TENSE. It applies to things that happened in the past and no longer are currently happening.

Are church leaders no longer financially corrupt?

Are church leaders no longer systematically covering up child sex abuse?

Are GA’s no longer teaching evil like cult mentality that causes depression, anxiety, suicide, breaks up relationships etc… (or at the least it stunts growth to that of teenage-type-thinking -Fowler faith stage 3)?

Are church leaders no longer engaging in unrighteous dominion - misusing their power/position (- ie illegal medical coercion - so “amen to the priesthood of those men”)?

Are church leaders no longer following evil ways like refusing to “issue apologies” - not repenting & punishing anyone who dares hint that they need to repent?

This evil goes uncorrected & becomes worse. Lies about lying etc. They continue to harm people and so it’s not about resentment which deals with ONLY the past, not present. They are STILL abusing their authority to do evil. So, anger (to right wrongs) is justified. Ideally, we selectively distribute our energy & not allow anger to harm us - but rather use it sparingly to try to bring about necessary repentance and needed improvement.

It is interesting that you focused on the past tense of being mistreated - what stood out to me was the word "bitterness".

Whether in the past or even if it is ongoing, the party that you resent does not experience the bitterness you are feeling - it only hurts you.

There are certainly lots of ways to respond such as creating boundaries or saying enough is enough, or whatever without bitterness. I see this as a truth that I am very imperfect at living even though I see the truth of it very clearly. It is very difficult not to feel bitter when you are feeling bitter, lol.

[John Tavner]

Resentment is “bitterness at having been mistreated”… PAST TENSE. It applies to things that happened in the past and no longer are currently happening.

Are church leaders no longer financially corrupt?

Are church leaders no longer systematically covering up child sex abuse?

Are GA’s no longer teaching evil like cult mentality that causes depression, anxiety, suicide, breaks up relationships etc… (or at the least it stunts growth to that of teenage-type-thinking -Fowler faith stage 3)?

Are church leaders no longer engaging in unrighteous dominion - misusing their power/position (- ie illegal medical coercion - so “amen to the priesthood of those men”)?

Are church leaders no longer following evil ways like refusing to “issue apologies” - not repenting & punishing anyone who dares hint that they need to repent?

This evil goes uncorrected & becomes worse. Lies about lying etc. They continue to harm people and so it’s not about resentment which deals with ONLY the past, not present. They are STILL abusing their authority to do evil. So, anger (to right wrongs) is justified. Ideally, we selectively distribute our energy & not allow anger to harm us - but rather use it sparingly to try to bring about necessary repentance and needed improvement.

It is interesting that you focused on the past tense of being mistreated - what stood out to me was the word "bitterness".

Whether in the past or even if it is ongoing, the party that you resent does not experience the bitterness you are feeling - it only hurts you.

There are certainly lots of ways to respond such as creating boundaries or saying enough is enough, or whatever without bitterness. I see this as a truth that I am very imperfect at living even though I see the truth of it very clearly. It is very difficult not to feel bitter when you are feeling bitter, lol.

I've found that we as humans enjoy/feel a need to justify our flesh- but doing so often prevents us from living up to what we ought to- it is a form of unbelief. The older I get the more I realize how much I lack belief/faith in certain aspects- because my perspective is wrong- I see how much I really don't submit to God. Thankfully as we develop relationship with the Father and spend time in communion with Him, God can quickly correct us and show us how we are viewing things incorrectly. Makes me realize more the necessity of fasting in order to make the flesh submit and to yield to God over my own flesh. The first thing we often do when we are angry is gossip and seek validation as to why we ought to be angry. There are valid responses that can and are holy, but more often than not we act from a place of flesh and justify it rather than react in a way that God wishes us to- more often because our flesh speaks louder than our spirit.. likely because we don't commune with God enough in order to separate teh voice of the flesh from the voice of God. I believe some of hte hardest situations are when others encourage us to be angry, when we don't feel the need to be so- our own friends, while well intentioned often tell us incorrect things - much like Job's friends- because they also have an incorrect perception of God. it's kind of funny if I remmeber in that story, I don't think Job actually communes with God at all... He usually just talks at God or makes statements- perhaps we could learn from that.

[Thinker]

Resentment is “bitterness at having been mistreated”… PAST TENSE. It applies to things that happened in the past and no longer are currently happening.

Are church leaders no longer financially corrupt?

Are church leaders no longer systematically covering up child sex abuse?

Are GA’s no longer teaching evil like cult mentality that causes depression, anxiety, suicide, breaks up relationships etc… (or at the least it stunts growth to that of teenage-type-thinking -Fowler faith stage 3)?

Are church leaders no longer engaging in unrighteous dominion - misusing their power/position (- ie illegal medical coercion - so “amen to the priesthood of those men”)?

Are church leaders no longer following evil ways like refusing to “issue apologies” - not repenting & punishing anyone who dares hint that they need to repent?

This evil goes uncorrected & becomes worse. Lies about lying etc. They continue to harm people and so it’s not about resentment which deals with ONLY the past, not present. They are STILL abusing their authority to do evil. So, anger (to right wrongs) is justified. Ideally, we selectively distribute our energy & not allow anger to harm us - but rather use it sparingly to try to bring about necessary repentance and needed improvement.

It is interesting that you focused on the past tense of being mistreated - what stood out to me was the word "bitterness".

Whether in the past or even if it is ongoing, the party that you resent does not experience the bitterness you are feeling - it only hurts you.

There are certainly lots of ways to respond such as creating boundaries or saying enough is enough, or whatever without bitterness. I see this as a truth that I am very imperfect at living even though I see the truth of it very clearly. It is very difficult not to feel bitter when you are feeling bitter, lol.

Interesting what was ignored: how they are STILL harming people without remorse. The focus and blame is shifted to those who dare voice objection to the abuse.

This seems to be confusing righteous anger with shameful bitter resentment. How can anyone judge another as to which it is - since as you pointed out, it’s within them?

Moreover, when abusers have repeatedly gaslighted those they abuse - and encouraged followers to continue gaslighting, it stirs up contention passive aggressively by pretending to be a peacemaker as they follow the profit in gaslighting yet again.