31 Jan 2012
Hebrews 12:15
Hebrews 12:15: “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”
It is so important for us to not become bitter. Bitterness can absolutely ruin us. After all, God has called us to love one another, and to even love our enemies. How can we love our enemies if we are consumed with bitterness? How can we love someone who we hate? It is simply not possible.
This means that even if someone sins against us and is not the least bit sorry about it, we must still let it go. We must not hold onto it, or dwell on it, or allow it to eat us alive. If we do then it will destroy us. Holding onto a grudge will kill our ability to minister to that person. How can we expect to show God’s love to someone that we despise? Yes, it’s not fair that we were treated that way. Yes, the other person is not sorry. But there are times when we simply have to accept the suffering. Remember, Christ suffered unfairly too, and the servant is not greater than his master. If He was unfairly treated and tortured then is it really that big a surprise when we are treated the same way? Did not Jesus warn us that these things would happen?
Now, this does not mean that we should not long for justice, for even in Heaven the martyrs cried out for the Lord to avenge them. But bitterness is something we must not allow into our lives. If we do it will kill us.