Imagine our hearts are one of two glasses of water: one filled with sweet, clean water and one filled with dirty, bitter water. If the glass of sweet water gets bumped and spilt, what comes out of the glass? Sweet water; bump the glass of bitter water and what comes out? Bitter water. It’s not the bump that determines what’s in the glass it just exposes what’s already in there.

You and I are going to get bumped in life. Somebody’s going to sin against us. Life circumstances will be disappointing. If bitterness comes out, we, out of self-righteousness will tend to say, “Look what you made me do” or “It’s not my fault I react this way.” and yet an honest appraisal would be, “You’ve just exposed who I truly am. That’s all you’ve done. You haven’t changed me in any way. You’ve just shown what’s in my heart.”

Some of us live our life in such a way trying not to be bumped and will avoid or disconnect from anyone who hurts us – that way we won’t get bumped, and the simple fact of the matter is: if you live on planet earth, you will be bumped. The only question is: what comes out?

The good news is that in Christ, rather than fearing the bumps, the bumps can be used as an opportunity for God to work on our character. And being transformed into the image of Jesus is good news indeed.

Emma Bray