Thesis Statement In Counseling

Introduction As I was deciding upon a topic to write for my counseling thesis, I asked my elders at my church about what would be a pertinent topic that would apply to the needs of the church. They responded by saying the majority of their counseling is in regards to relationship, and one in particular: adult-children and their relationship with their parents. Their answer somewhat surprised me, but as I stuck with this topic I began to realize how this problem was something that has affected many members in my church in the past and some in the present. I also began to see my elders heart to help many people at my church who struggle with as an adult with their parents. This problem is not just isolated to my church, but is a wider issue …show more content…
However, it is how we respond that reveals if we will become bitter or better for it. Oftentimes, bitter people define their lives by their circumstances. Their circumstances become bigger than God, and it is within this context that the bitter person chooses to withhold forgiveness toward another because the hurt overwhelms her so much. One’s own emotions and circumstances become a stronger influence in a bitter person’s life rather than the commands of God. Bitterness is essentially an unwillingness to forgive and a desire to continue to rehearse the hurt inflicted by another because the bitter person finds solace in thinking first of all, that she is right and that she should pity herself since no one else will. The bitter person is unwilling to forgive because she is unable to see how that person could sin and hurt her in that way; it seems almost unbearable. The bitter person’s pride of being offended and hurt becomes more important to her than reconciling with the offender. She becomes the judge of the person who has wronged her, and while blinded by her own bitterness cannot see that she has sinned far greater towards God, who has forgiven her …show more content…
I use to harbor a lot of anger and resentment towards both parents but especially towards my father for his outbursts of anger. I held onto this bitterness growing up, and when I became a Christian at the end of high school. I did not realize it at the time, but my relationship with my father was very broken and destructive because of my bitterness that I held against him. I remember saying how much I hated my father for his angry outbursts towards my family, especially towards my mother. Even as a Christian, it took me a very long time to finally bring up this issue with my father and to forgive my father for his angry outbursts and to ask him to forgive me for my long-held anger and bitterness towards him. My hope is that others will not hold onto their bitterness like I had done for so long, but that they will learn to forgive and fully reconcile with their