The Poison Called Bitterness

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. (Ephesians 4:31-32)

Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. See that no one is sexually immoral, or is godless like Esau, who for a single meal sold his inheritance rights as the oldest son. (Hebrews 12:14-16)

Try to live at peace with everyone! Live a clean life. If you don’t, you will never see the Lord. Make sure that no one misses out on God’s wonderful kindness. Don’t let anyone become bitter and cause trouble for the rest of you. Watch out for immoral and ungodly people like Esau, who sold his future blessing for only one meal. (Hebrews 12:14-16 CEV)

My dear friends, our challenge today returns us to one of the most terrible vices that sometimes find its way into our lives as Christians. The Bible refers to it as the root of bitterness. It calls it poison; it spreads, festers and defiles. It is dangerous; it ends up killing the one who lets it in. Don't let it have room in your life. Many have fallen victim to its deadly grip. Run from it with all your might. It requires great effort from us as we live in a world of sin, but Jesus, our elder brother, went through life without bitterness, and so can we.

Many times, the reason for the bitterness is genuine but can anything be worth such costs? I dare say no. Bitterness brings out the beast in us. It makes a beautiful person ugly. It defaces the owner. Absalom would know. The Bible records that he was a very handsome young man, much loved by everyone. He let bitterness take root, and it destroyed him and caused much harm. What happened? His brother Amnon raped his sister, Tamar. It was disgraceful, annoying, shameful and most uncalled for. He said nothing (bitter people sometimes carry on like nothing's amiss). He was angry with his brother for raping his sister but more so mad with his father for doing nothing about it.

Absalom for two years did nothing, said neither good nor bad to Amnon. Everyone must have thought that it's all-good until Absalom carried out his plot of killing his brother Amnon. He did not stop there; he plotted to take over his father's throne, won the people's heart, but bitterness defiles and its end is always bad. Absalom ended up with his hair caught up on the branch of a tree. The aftermath of trying to go after his father. Bitterness will take the life of its owner. Do not let it in. It is not worth the trouble and pain that accompanies it.

Ahitophel was a good man, a trusted official. He was righteous, and his counsel was sound. He never missed it until one bitter man hooked up with another. He was grandfather to Bathseba, wife of Uriah whom David killed. He knew it was a wrong thing David did, and when it was time to advise Absalom against David, what did he recommend? 'Sleep with your father's wives in the open.' In other words, do exactly what your father did to my grandbaby. Notice he started as David's adviser; he never said anything about David's crime, but we find that he was bitter. We learn from the story of his life that the poison of bitterness destroys from inside. Ahitophel ended up committing suicide because his counsel which until that point in time had never been rejected, was not taken. Bitterness will hang you if you don't hang it. The account is in 2 Samuel 13, 14 & 15

Beloved, who are you intensely angry with? You were wronged we agree, but would you let bitterness take your life? It is not worth that trouble. You may have to endure shame, abuse, disgrace, whatever. They may abandon you, leave you alone with the children or worse still, kill your loved ones. Whatever they did, you are the one suffering.