Bitterness, whatever its kind and at any stage, is a tormentor. It is anti-God and anti-brethren.
I Never Thought Bitterness Could Be Found In Me …
by BurningBushBoy | Contributing Writer | Eternal Affairs Media
“Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:
I never thought bitterness could be found in me, but one blessed morning, the Lord suspended the light with which I view my life, and with His light, I discovered, not a trunk of bitterness, but its root.
As a root, it was buried in my heart; quietly but resolutely growing to become a tree that will soon produce fruits of its kind.
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If it had gotten to that stage, I would have been a goner. My entire life would exhibited bitterness in different directions had God not come to my aid.
That day, I also discovered the different species of bitterness; though all are with the same spiritual implications if left to grow wild.
Are you eager to know the manner of bitterness the Lord found in thy brother?
Well, since I started this, I must finish it.
Have you ever felt bad after working ‘soooooo’ hard in a team, only to realize the team did not get anywhere near your goal? Yes, someone but you must be blamed. Isn’t it?
Since you have (supposedly) played your role brilliantly well, other members of the team must have sabotaged the game. So, you remain in the team, but you’re out of it. Hmm!
You’re there with the team but no longer dear to them. You’re there, physically present with them, but remotely far from being with them in the (same) spirit.
It’s made worse when you know you have options – other places you could go to display your worth or enforce your idea the team rejected.
We see you are no longer bothered about what becomes of the team; after all, your bird can simply fly over to perch on another tree once this breaks.
Lord, this thinking and behaviour is wicked and cannot be from you!
How can I claim to be there with the team when I’m no longer interested in making it a winning team? Certain thoughts and actions don’t add up!
Why should bitterness make me fold my hands and close my heart, waiting for the failure of a project, just to prove that I’ve always been right?
Why should I ever wait for the failure of the team to justify why they should have superbly celebrated me for being their hero?
Bitterness, especially at the root level, can be very dangerous. It’s there underneath the smiling face.
Bitterness, whatever its kind and at any stage, is a tormentor. It is anti-God and anti-brethren.
So, instead of thinking I have done enough, I’m just going to tell myself I need to do more for the team. We can still fly and it doesn’t have to be at or by my idea.
Seriously, I don’t have to struggle to be the main player in the team. I am not extraordinary. I am just an ordinary member of the team saddled with a joint responsibility. In this team, we either fail or sail as one.
And should you see me leaving the team, then it must have been at the Lord’s command to move me, and never because of bitterness.
He who quits due to bitterness cannot be quiet wherever he’s heading. Waiting for him there is another incident or person that will rekindle the flame of bitterness he thought quitting had quenched.
The heart needs the Word of God to constantly purge it of bitter residues.
To overcome the battle for undue and inordinate relevance, which ignites the destructive fire of bitterness, we must cultivate the simplicity of life as exemplified by Jesus Christ.
Be still my heart!
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“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 (including you) be defiled. Heb. 12:14-15 (Emphases mine)
