Bitterness September 3, 2008
Posted by jonesy24 in Christianity, Relationships, You and me.Tags: Bible, bitter, bitterness, Christian, Christianity, foothold, God, gossip, In His Dust, malice, Mark Jones, slander, UNforgiveness
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Bitterness is a demonic foothold. If you are bitter, and you’re not dealing with it – you’re leaving room for Satan (and his demons) to get into your life.
I break bitterness down into 3 different types:
- 1) Someone sins against us – we get bitter
- 2) We think someone has sinned against us (percieved sin) – we get bitter
- 3) Jealousy/bitter envy and selfish ambition – it equals bitterness.
Unforgiveness = Bitterness
Jealousy = Bitterness
Bitterness is the possession of ‘the offended’. You don’t see the ‘offender’ getting bitter, it’s always the person that has been wronged, or who thinks they’ve been wronged. It leads to gossip, slander and malice.
The people we’re most likely to get bitter against, tend to be the people who we give access to our heart. Maybe the people who we give our trust? Or love? That means that the people you’re most likely to be ‘bitter’ against are probably going to be your parents, girfriend/boyfriend, spouse, pastor, mentor, accountability partner, your children, friends… maybe God?
People who are hurting or who get hurt – they (can) get bitter.
I’m an expert on this subject. It’s pretty much my life. That’s why I can talk (probably not blog) about it with such clarity. I haver to be extreamly careful that my anger/hurt (even whether I call it ‘righteous’ anger) does not turn into bitterness. If I get bitter, I’ve taken the bait and been captured in one of Satan’s demonic schemes. If I get bitter, the way I can end up thinking and speaking is slanderous, gossip, and malicious. It’s sinful.
We – if we are bitter – need to dig up the root of bitterness, otherwise it’ll grow up to defile many. (BIBLE! WHOO!)
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every kind of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as Christ forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32
If you’re bitter, you need to run to God’s people for help. If there’s someone you need to forgive, you need to forgive them as God forgave you, otherwise you’re living in sin, and giving Satan a demonic foothold, and your unforgiveness/bitterness will turn into slander, gossip and malice – and in your hurt, where you may have every right to be hurt – Satan will have gained a victory. Make sure and deal with it the right way – don’t let it become something it shouldn’t.
I like your clear, succinct note on a big subject. jealousy and unforgiveness can go unnoticed, but bitterness shows there’s something going on that we need to deal with… it is the bud that needs pulling out before it flowers and attracts scary bees and cross-pollinators -to be all metaphorical-y
is it easy? i think the Ephesians bit covers it -if you love… you’ll hit the spot and de-bud from bitterness