No Root of Bitterness

We must take care not to let bitterness take root in our souls. It is easy for we mere mortals to give in to the side effects of life, the despair and anger that come with disappointments, abandonment, persecution, neglect, etal. Our dreams go down the drain of deferral; our expectations are trampled beneath the feet of apathy and disinterest. In our distress, we reflexively nurture our pain and rehearse our misery until we harvest a crop of bitterness that spills over into our everyday actions and reactions. We succumb to our heartache and begin to see everything through bitterness-tinted lenses. I think it is time to check out our profession of faith. If we truly believe that God is who He says He is and that He can do what He says He can do, then why aren’t we, more often, casting all our care on Him simply because we know He cares for us?

Bitterness is pervasive and invasive. Bitterness keeps us living out our Past in the Present. Bitterness erodes our hope and trust and ultimately we begin to measure every act by every person by our bitterness slide rule. Bitterness demands perfection until, finally, very few people can live up to our expectations. Bitterness takes our focus off of El Shaddai and puts it back on "me, myself and I." We love to proclaim Philippians 4:13 but until we actually begin to practice what we preach, that we can not only do but also endure all things through the One who is our strength, bitterness will continue to taunt us. So, what shall we say to these things? I'm just asking. . .