Dealing With Bitterness

See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and by it, defiling many.—[Hebrews 12:15]

A lot of people, today, are very bitter. It doesn't take very long to se it. I have noticed it more over the last few days than normal, sitting in the mall, and having to listen to conversations of those around me. I say "having to listen" because no one talks quietly any more. Between conversation with someone face to face or on the phone, you hear every last detail of the conversations.

Bitterness has a tenacious way of taking root deep within the soul and resisting all efforts to weed it out. Bitterness occurs for many reasons. It might come from deep hurts you received as a child, hurts you cannot forget. Time, rather than diminishing the hurt, only seems to sharpen the pain. Bitterness can result from the hurtful words of a friend or coworker. Often the person who hurt you is unaware of the extent of your bitterness. You find yourself rehearsing the offense over and over again, each time driving the root of bitterness deeper within your soul, while the one who did it to you seems to be having "so much fun."

Bitterness can derive from a sense of being unjustly treated. We will tell ourselves that we didn't deserve what happened. We try to figure out why it happened, all the while only hurting ourselves more. Bitterness will lead to depression that will kill us if not death with.

Dealing with bitterness is a lot like pulling weeds out of your yard and flowers. And no matter how much weed control you put on your yard, you still have to bend over and pull the weeds out. Weeds will grow where you least expect them to. It is an every day chore.

I have noticed in my own life that bitterness is easy to justify. And, you can become so used to a bitter heart that you are even comfortable with it, but it will destroy you. Only God is fully aware of its destructive potential. There is nothing so deeply imbedded in your heart that God's grace cannot reach down and remove it. No area in your life is so painful that God's grace cannot bring total healing. No offense committed against you is so heinous that God's love cannot enable you to forgive.

When you allow bitterness to grow in your life, you reject the grace of God that can free you. If you are honest before God, you will admit the bitterness and allow God to forgive you. Bitterness enslaves you, but God is prepared to remove your bitterness and replace it with His peace and joy.