There has always been bitterness in the world.
The first incident: Cain became embittered with his brother, Abel. Bitterness breeds contempt and Cain took his brother’s precious life.
Bitterness runs rampant these days, and everywhere we turn we see vitriolic behavior being spewed. The political arena has taken some semblance of the coliseum where Christians were thrown to wild beasts and burned at the stake.
The Apostle Paul speaks on this subject in his letter to the Christian church in Rome. In Romans 3:14-15, we read, “Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”
Bitterness is a poison inflicted on others, but it also spreads internally (on their lips). It’s a growing cancer — a hardening of the heart.
We all become embittered on occasion. If we are wise, we quickly move on from whatever has caused our grief, since there’s little, if any action, we can take to rectify the harm experienced.
We need to remain focused on those things that are pure and productive in our lives and the lives of others.
For those who have accepted Christ as Savior and Lord, we can call upon the Holy Spirit to shelter us from the poison of bitterness. He is our instant antidote.
Paul instructs the Christian church in Ephesus with these words of wisdom. In Ephesians 4:31-32, he advises us to “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
By following this advice, we will certainly experience greater joy and peace in our lives.
Here’s a bit more wisdom presented by Paul to the Christian church in Galatia, via Galatians 5:13-16:
“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in joy. The entire law is summed up in a single command:
‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. So, I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”
There was a time earlier in my life when I harbored bitterness. After accepting Christ as my Savior and Lord, I promptly loosened the ropes and allowed those bitter memories to drift out to sea.
It was a great relief and immediately allowed me to focus on my new life in Christ.
There’s no room for bitterness in the lives of those who truly love Christ!