Do you have any bitterness in your life? This is not the type of question that we normally ponder. Yet, the costs of not addressing this issue are high and varied. Bitterness is often connected to anxiety, worry, depression, and fear. Marriages often dissolve and families frequently disintegrate when bitterness is left unaddressed. The Bible wars against unrestrained bitterness, because the God of heaven does not want anyone to suffer these terrible effects. We are reminded in Hebrews 12:15 to be careful of a bitter lifestyle, where we read, “Looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.” One of the dangers of bitterness is that while it destroys the vessel it is in, it also damages those vessels that they are around. To many people have allowed this characteristic to hinder their relationships, their effectiveness, and their joy, and in so doing they poison the people around them. Evaluate your heart today, and see if there is any root of bitterness growing in your soul. If so, weed it out, don’t attempt to bury it deeper, rather, pull out the root so that it does not infest the garden of your heart.
