Ephesians 4:31

Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. NKJV

Last night Chris told our room how a good way to deal with walking into a room and feeling bitterness towards someone, maybe because you just woke up on the wrong side of the bed or they recently pushed some button you don't like having pushed, is to simply look at them and tell them, to yourself (i.e. inside your head), "I love you."

It must be sincere, otherwise you'd just be grumbling to yourself about how you might or might not like to love them and want to love them or say "love" but mean "should fall down the nearest well", but it is very difficult to be bitter towards someone while genuinely thinking about how you love them. Even if there isn't any particular reason you have to love their individual person, you can pray for love and seek it for them in and through the love of Christ, which He has for both yourself and them.

I need to start telling myself how much I love the people I don't particularly like, who I'd much rather avoid dealing with because of how much trouble it seems like and how difficult it is, at least on my side, in our interaction.

To, rather than think in my mind about the things wrong with them, pray for their troubles and problems with love.

Rather than complaining of their imperfections and little flaws, I should be crying out to God, "Mend my own! Take my bitterness and fill my heart with love!" (Mathew 7:3-5)
("And why do you look at the speck in your brothers eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.")

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
To God our Savior,
Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.