The Root of Bitterness

I read an article the other day by Adam Faughn on A Legacy of Faith entitled “The Struggle of Bitterness.” He mentioned that it is rare to hear a sermon on bitterness. I began to think. I cannot remember hearing a sermon on bitterness or preaching a sermon solely dedicated to bitterness. Have you heard a sermon on bitterness? I guess a better question might be, do we need to hear a lesson on bitterness? The answer has to be yes because the Bible talks about it. Acts 8:23 is one example of the Bible using that word.

The first question probably should be, what is bitterness? Looking at the word from Ephesians 4:31, one commentary defined it as sustained resentment. Another commentary I found defined it as a hard-heartedness that harbors resentment about the past. I think of bitterness in taste. I have a bad reaction to the taste of something. Then the tough question came. Have I had or do I have bitterness in my heart? I have dealt with some unpleasant things and people in my life. How do I feel about them? Maybe I was put in a bad situation. Maybe I was right but done wrong. Maybe I did not deserve what happened. How do I feel now? Can I only speak evil about it? Do I have to correct others when they speak well of it? Do I deal kindly or refuse to deal with it at all?

What if I am struggling with bitterness? Ephesians 4 tells me I need to put it away. Why do I need to put it away? Because Hebrews 12:15 says it can cause me trouble and defile me. Bitterness is a root that leads to other sins. I need to dig into my heart and kill the root of bitterness before it brings about fruit that defiles me. The reality is bitterness is usually doing more harm to the carrier than the one or situation the bitterness is against. It will not be easy to deal with, but it can be done through Christ.