“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
I don't know one single person in my life that is immune to getting angry. We all experience it from time to time. I think it is just one of those unavoidable things we all experience in life. While getting angry is one thing, staying angry and allowing that anger to plant a seed of bitterness is something else altogether.
Anger is a natural human emotion, it comes from God. Bitterness is not.
I have struggled with my temper most of my life. As I was growing up, I would lash out, in uncontrolled anger at times. This is something that has plagued me into my adult life. When I was younger my grandpa told me this, "Hanging on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to get sick from it." But the truth is that anger like this made me sick. I was sick on the inside and when I would get frustrated and upset that sickness would boil up and pour out onto whomever or whatever was closest at the time.
As I have grown and the Lord has worked on me I have learned that unresolved anger is immobilizing. There are still times when I get angry but I can't allow it to go unresolved because when I do it turns into bitterness towards the person I was angry at, giving the enemy a foothold into my life. Brother, you can't allow your anger to turn into bitterness because it will do the same thing to your heart. It will make it hard and cold to all those folks you are supposed to love and care about.
Now take a second and go back to the verse I included above and really meditate on what it says. Notice that the writer tells us what the consequences of allowing bitterness to take root in your heart. I can tell you this, removing this root isn't easy. It takes lots of prayer and even takes lots of time to remove but with the help of the Holy Spirit and maybe a few close friends to help hold you accountable, it is a root that can be removed.
Hebrews 12:15 ESV
I don't know one single person in my life that is immune to getting angry. We all experience it from time to time. I think it is just one of those unavoidable things we all experience in life. While getting angry is one thing, staying angry and allowing that anger to plant a seed of bitterness is something else altogether.
Anger is a natural human emotion, it comes from God. Bitterness is not.
I have struggled with my temper most of my life. As I was growing up, I would lash out, in uncontrolled anger at times. This is something that has plagued me into my adult life. When I was younger my grandpa told me this, "Hanging on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting someone else to get sick from it." But the truth is that anger like this made me sick. I was sick on the inside and when I would get frustrated and upset that sickness would boil up and pour out onto whomever or whatever was closest at the time.
As I have grown and the Lord has worked on me I have learned that unresolved anger is immobilizing. There are still times when I get angry but I can't allow it to go unresolved because when I do it turns into bitterness towards the person I was angry at, giving the enemy a foothold into my life. Brother, you can't allow your anger to turn into bitterness because it will do the same thing to your heart. It will make it hard and cold to all those folks you are supposed to love and care about.
Now take a second and go back to the verse I included above and really meditate on what it says. Notice that the writer tells us what the consequences of allowing bitterness to take root in your heart. I can tell you this, removing this root isn't easy. It takes lots of prayer and even takes lots of time to remove but with the help of the Holy Spirit and maybe a few close friends to help hold you accountable, it is a root that can be removed.
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