Bitterness a Root With a Bitter Fruit – Part Three
Ephesians 4: 30 – 32
Bitterness has a destructive influence on the body. A three alarm nervous reaction had dried up your salivary secretions. Bitterness covertly influences the body.
Bitterness and other forms of emotional stress send an alarm to the thyroid gland to increase secretions. When this thyroxine pours into the bloodstream, it can cause a number of reactions such as muscle tension. Sometimes it flows into the brain contained in the rigid skull, causing headaches.
Dr. William Sadler, a physician said, “The sincere acceptance of the principles and teachings of Christ with respect to the life of mental peace and joy… would at once wipe out more than half the difficulties, diseases, and sorrows of the human race… it would pay any man or woman to live the Christ-life just for the mental and moral rewards it affords here in this present world.”
Much of the harm caused by bitterness is spiritual. Bitterness, being a manifestation of an un-Christlike attitude, becomes a hindrance to a good prayer life. Other spiritual activities are often abandoned. Bible study and worship lose their appeal. Spiritual appetites atrophy.
Bitterness has more than personal impacts. Hebrews 12: 15 notes it hurts “others in their spiritual lives.”
A bitter root produces bitter fruit. Other people knowing you are a Christian and bitter are led to believe there is no positive result that comes from leading a spiritual life. Bitterness negates any spiritual influence. Who wants to be a bitter believer. They know God and bitterness don’t coexist.
Bitterness gives God grief. “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God…” (Ephesians 4:30) The Holy Spirit is grieved by bitterness. The Holy Spirit is grieved when He is giving us direction not to do something and we do it. The Holy Spirit guides us not to be bitter and when we are it breaks His heart. Note what bitterness does to God. He is grieved. The word translated grieve means to weep.
Bitterness, especially that which has been around so long it has festered because of a refusal to be reconciled breaks God’s heart.
May this break the heart of the bitter person who refused to forgive for God’s sake. Physically, medically, and spiritually forgiveness gives joy to God and brings relief to the one forgiving.