Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness-without it no one will see the Lord. Make sure 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 12:14-15 HCSB
There is a quote that says, “Resentment is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.” There are a number of people credited for this quote including actress Carrie Fisher and Nelson Mandela.
When we resent someone, it causes bitterness and anger. No matter how justified you feel you may be for having this resentment, you need to understand it is hurting you way more than it is hurting them.
The Bible has a lot to say about hatred and bitterness and anger. In Acts 8:23 there was a man named Simon who thought he could buy the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter told him his heart was not right with God. He then said in verses 22-23, “Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see you are poisoned by the bitterness of your iniquity.” Our sin brings forth bitterness.
Bitterness is a heart problem which overflows the heart and spills out of the mouth. We are told in Matthew 12:34 that out of an abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Whatever is in our heart comes out of our mouth. If we have love in our hearts as Jesus commands us in Matthew 22:37-39 then love spills out.
Romans 3:23 says we all fall short of the glory of God. In the verses preceding this verse, Paul speaks of how we all are filthy rotten sinners in need of a Savior. In verse 14 he says, “their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.”
No good comes from bitterness. I can’t think of one instance when I have harbored bitterness in my heart, and it has brought about goodness for me. It simply doesn’t work that way.
We have to be able to let go and let God take care of it. We must align ourselves with His will and His word clearly tells us it is His will that we remove bitterness from our hearts. Ephesians 4:31 says to let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Colossians 3:8 says we must put away anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from our mouths.
Jesus said in Mark 11:25, “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
We are warned in James 1:19-20 to be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.
My friend if you are angry and bitter you are suffering, you are hurting. I don’t have to know your personally to know this. I’ve been there, done that and got the t-shirt. I have spent years of my life harboring bitterness only to have it weigh me down like a boat anchor.
No good will come from your bitterness. Let it go. Let God take care of it. Turn to Him and ask Him to forgive you and help you to forgive others. Ask Him to remove all bitterness from your heart and to replace it with compassion. He will gladly do that.
Trust in Him today. We can’t have the love of Christ in our hearts if we have stuffed them with bitterness.
I hope if I gave you a glass of poison and told you that drinking it would kill your enemy, you would have sense enough to know it won’t work. I hope you also have sense enough to know that harboring bitterness only hurts you and has no effect whatsoever on your enemy. In most cases, they don’t even know or care that you are angry. It is hurting you, not them.
Stop hurting yourself and turn to God for healing.
Have a great day!