Influencers Weekly Devotional

Root of Bitterness by

Rocky Fleming

“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled. Hebrews 12:15 (ESV)

Have you ever been around a bitter person? It's not very pleasant is it? Have you possibly had previously, or presently, a bitter parent or loved one, or friend in your life? Their bitterness rubs off on you doesn't it? Have you ever considered the generational sin of bitterness can be reproduced to generations of children who follow the bitter parent? It might explain the uncontrollable urge you have to judge, convict and condemn someone who has riled you. It might help you understand why you overreact when your switch is flipped. It might help you understand why your insides are torn up with unresolved conflict, with anger that wants to be unleashed, and the turmoil in you with wanting to let it out, but unable to do so. Have you ever felt like a sailboat with your sails up, a mighty wind blowing in them, and your boat still lashed to the dock. AGITATION! That's what a root of bitterness does to your life. Got any of those symptoms? It helps to know what is happening. I know it helped me. It also helped me understand where much of the root of bitterness was conceived in my life. I watched this bitterness follow and beleaguer a godly woman most of her life, and from my mother it rubbed off on me. It has also helped me to look back and see where, in my developmental stages of life, some other things also insulted me, hurt me, and angered me to the point that I vowed to never allow such to happen again. This root of bitterness became a defense mechanism and sent out a warning to any one who ventured into this sensitive zone to, “PROCEED VERY CAREFULLY!” Needless to say, it was something God wanted out of me, and until I dealt with it, I would have a major roadblock in my spiritual growth, and the peace God wants for me. This became a big deal for me, and I will challenge you to take a look at yourself to see if this poisonous plant lives in you. You will not find the peace you are longing for as long as it remains in you. It is a big deal. I had a friend venture into this high risk zone of mine a while back. He handled his entry carelessly, and had a surprise come back to him. Being a doctor he wasn't familiar with such a response. (He probably needed it though) When we settled down, and we could work through the challenge before us as friends, we came to understand that we both needed an adjustment in our presentation and reception of blunt words. We worked it out, as good friends do, and something was learned. The truth is, I think many men need to explore that a “root of bitterness” may possibly exist, and to understand that the root of bitterness produces a “fruit of bitterness.” It is this fruit that causes us to overreact and say things we wish we could take back, or internalize anger to the point of frustration. This fruit can be expressed on the freeway with road-rage, or in a divorce court fighting over the custody of a child, or the discord that led to the divorce in the first place. It can be planted in our life through the abuse of a parent or a bully in the school, or many places. The cause and effect of bitterness is broad. Because of this we have a caution given to us in God's Holy word to not allow this bitterness to take up lodging in our life, and we must get rid of it before it causes too much damage in the people around us, and to our own life. It is a hard thing to root out bitterness once it has been planted in our life for a long period of time. It becomes part of us. Sometimes it is within our identity as a man, and to not express it makes us feel emasculated. Sometimes it is a defense mechanism that keeps insults at bay. Sometimes it makes us feel good at the moment that we stood our ground. But. most of the time we look back and say, “I wish I hadn't said that.” When we grow in our relationship with Christ, we often spend a lot of time on our knees in repentance for our overreactions, and before long we begin to see that a problem exists, and it has gotten the best of us. What do we do when we finally come to our senses and see the evil for what it is? How do we root out that root of bitterness that invaded our life long ago, and wrecks havoc even today on our life and relationships? I will tell you that I have tried to will it out, push it out with prayer and repentance, and wonder if I needed an intervention, until I fasten on to how the Word directs us to deal with it. In the same verse I've listed above, we see the antidote for the poison of a root of bitterness. It is the application of this antidote to the sour gall of bitterness that neutralizes this bitterness like an antacid does for heartburn. It is called “grace.” Grace neutralizes bitterness, and a repetitive application of grace will root out bitterness in our life. How so? Well it works like this: When grace is received, grace should be given. When grace is given, more grace is received, and then more grace can be given. It's the economy of the way God works. He lavishes on us His grace, and He keeps on lavishing it on us, unless we stop the process with our bitterness. We are given “grace upon grace” (see John 1:16). Now this grace must be passed on to find an answer for our bitterness. If we have received Calvary's love (grace), then it is our sacred responsibility to pass it on. It is this act of receiving and giving grace that the passage speaks to for rooting out bitterness in our life. I love what Amy Carmichael wrote about it, for she connects our ability to forgive and give grace, to the love God has given to us: “If I love to be loved more than to love, to be served more than to serve, then I know nothing of Calvary love. If a sudden jar can cause me to speak an impatient, unloving word, then I know nothing of Calvary love. For a cup brimful of sweet water cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, however suddenly jolted. If I say "Yes, I forgive, but I cannot forget," as though the God, who twice a day washes all the sands on all the shores of all the world, could not wash such memories from mind, then I know nothing of Calvary love. If I look back longingly on what used to be, and linger among the byways of memory, so that my power to help is weakened, then I know nothing of Calvary love.” Amy Carmichael Men, do not allow bitterness to remain in your life. It is very important to beat this. Bitterness will destroy your joy, and wreck havoc on your relationships. Instead, deal with the people, the memories, the wounds, and the bitterness that has assaulted you, by pouring God's grace on them. Give them what you have been given, and your bitterness will leave you. Fight the good fight brothers, and win over this. In doing so you will find the peace you are seeking, and you will be a man after God's own heart. Download file