Rooting out Bitterness

Sunday, October 06, 2019

by Dr. Paul Chappell

“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; Lest there be any fornicator, or profane person, as Esau, who for one morsel of meat sold his birthright.”

Hebrews 12:14–16

In 2006, the nation was horrified to learn the news that a gunman had gone into an Amish school near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and barricaded himself inside. When the police arrived, he began shooting the students, killing five and injuring five others before killing himself. The man was Charles Roberts. He was well acquainted with the Amish community having driven a milk truck that served several of the families of the students. Roberts left behind a note describing his bitterness at God over the death of his infant daughter nine years earlier. He allowed that bitterness to remain in his heart until it grew into an overwhelming evil.

Bitterness is a deadly poison, and the longer we allow it to linger in our hearts and minds, the more deadly it becomes. There are no people on earth who have never been hurt or disappointed. All of us have scars from the past over which we could allow ourselves to become bitter. But if we do, we are treading a dangerous path. When bitterness flourishes, it impacts many people, not just us.

We do not forgive those who have done us wrong because they deserve it, but because God has forgiven us. “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:32). Any offense which we refuse to forgive is fertile ground for bitterness to grow. We cannot undo the hurts and pain of the past, but we can refuse to be bitter about them.

Today's Growth Principle: 

We cannot limit the impact of bitterness to our own lives. It will touch many if we allow it to remain.