Put Away Bitterness

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” Ephesians 4:31

Bitter. Do you know what it means to be filled with bitterness? Bitter means “hateful, hostile, or restentful.” If someone is filled with bitterness towards another, they are holding a grudge against them for something that the other person has done. They are filled with a great disliking towards them, for whatever the reason. 

How many of you know someone like this? How many of you know someone who has a hard time letting go of grudges, and is constantly bringing them back up? 

Bitterness isn’t forgiveness. It isn’t love. It isn’t mercy or grace. That is why we need to put it away from our lives.

“Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful.” Luke 6:36

None of us are perfect, and when a man and woman marry, each of them needs to go into that marriage already willing to forgive the other for any sin or misdeed that the other might commit in the future, however painful they might be. Because that is LOVE.

“Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.” Colossians 3:19

What causes divorce? Hate, anger….bitterness. The inability and unwillingness to forgive. The unwillingness to overlook another’s faults and weaknesses. Sadly, it has become too common of a practice for marriages today to end in separation, all because of someone’s bitter heart. This has even spread to many so-called “churches,” where people who claim to believe in Jesus seem to forget His one command, to love.

Are we not Christians? Aren’t we supposed to follow the teachings of Christ? Then why would someone choose bitterness over forgiveness? Why would they choose hate over love? 

Jesus won’t leave us because we are sinners, and neither should those in a marriage. Jesus doesn’t remain bitter towards this earth full of sinners, day after day after they have repented. What does the Lord say?

“For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.” Hebrews 8:12

I will remember no more. They’re gone. Forgotten. 

Jesus suffered many things at the hands of sinners during His crucifixtion. As Jesus was crucified on the cross, He said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” Does that sound like someone whose heart was filled with bitterness? I don’t think so.

The story of Joseph is one that we use a lot on this website because it is a perfect example of showing forgiveness. After years of suffering wrongfully at the hands of his brothers, the situation came to where Joseph was in the place of power over them. He had the opportunity to punish them for their sins against him, but instead of using that power, he forgave. He let go of any bitterness and anger towards them, and forgave them.

The sin of bitterness can lead to many other problems in the future, and this is why we need to rid ourselves of this disease. Don’t let it spread and continue on.

Forgive, forget, and move forward. 

In Christ,

Andrew