Last weekend, a thief broke into our house and stole a spare tire rim that we had been reserving for future use. It's never fun to have someone steal something from you and you probably know how much anger can potentially be spurred in such situations.

That occurrence had only been the tip of the iceberg for me and my wife. The past few months have been a steady stream of gossip, offense and patterns of dishonesty, and my family had been at the receiving end for a good two months.

In all of that, I thank God that not one ounce of bitterness, anger or hate has survived the overpowering light that shone through my heart and my family. Did I have the right to be angry and bitter? I'd like to believe so, but that wasn't reason enough to harbor any of it.

We often find it easy to think that we have the right to be angry and bitter with people because they deserve it for giving us something that we don't deserve, be it stress, pain or hurt.

As a result, we store up bitterness and unforgiveness, thinking that a level of it should be just good enough to protect us the second time around. For sure, it seemed like a good idea when that thief broke into my house to steal something expensive from me. It also seemed like a good idea when I found out about the things that church leaders were saying about me behind my back.

But bitterness is never a good pet to keep because just like any other animal, it has to be fed. You have to feed it with reason and time. The next thing you know you're taking out reason and time from your work, family or ministry just to feed your bitterness.

Bitterness is a black hole that sucks the life out of you. It never protects nor does it give life. It only takes your life and the life of other people around you, and there comes a time that you have to decide whether to kill that bitterness or to kill the relationships, the joy and the peace that comes to you through God's grace.

I love the reminder that Colossians 3:13 readily gives, "bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive."

The one reason why we can forgive is because God is good and gracious. He readily forgives us and constantly blesses and cares for us. So we've been hurt, broken, maligned and beaten up, but God's grace is sufficient and will restore.

Are you harboring bitterness and unforgiveness? Realize today that unless you stop feeding them, they will soon eat up your relationships, peace and joy.