Are Your Roots Bitter?

One of the key activities I do after a good rain is pull the weeds in my flowerbeds. No, this is not my favorite thing to do but it is the best time to do it. The ground is soft and the tops of the weed as well as the roots come out easily. I have learned if you can’t pull the roots out too then you are making extra work for yourself. The remaining roots will regenerate new weed growth very quickly. All the while you will be thinking… didn’t I just weed that bed?

First in the natural then in the spiritual…(I Corinthians 15:46)

Isn’t it the same way in the spiritual realm? The Rain of Revelation comes to us from the Scriptures about a root of bitterness. The rain could have come during our time alone with God, a penetrating sermon, or a close friend’s counsel. We know that something has to be done about our attitudes and actions. We have tried just forgetting about it or telling ourselves it really doesn’t matter anyway. However, trying to pull away the despised memory without getting to the hidden root cause means we will have to deal with the whole ugly situation when the hurt surfaces again. 

Paul mentions the ‘root of bitterness’ in Hebrews.

See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God;

that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble,

and by it many may become defiled;

(Hebrew 12:15)

How does bitterness start? By someone taking an offense and then choosing not to forgive. At times genuine wrongs are done to us and then we have to deal with the consequences. Other times, an incident is just a misunderstanding but we choose to believe that the action was intentional. Either case, if we continue to rehearse and nurse the wrong (while seeking others approval), then the root of bitterness will develop and spread. Kind of like a fisherman’s exaggerated stories about the size of his catch. If left unchecked, bitterness will manifest in every area of your life including our health. If we act forgiving on the outside without a change of heart on the inside, then the roots will remain and the bitterness will surface again. The longer the roots remain the deeper they will grow and the harder they will be to pull.

However, when we choose to begin the process of forgiving no matter what the circumstances are or how long ago it happened, then we free ourselves as well as the others involved. When we forgive, we do not leave any “heart” ground for the bitter roots to form and a new grace-filled relationship can begin again.

Do you have a root of bitterness in your life? If so, today could be a great day to begin weeding. If it seems too difficult for you to handle alone, then seek wise godly counsel.With grace, determination and perseverance, the weed can be eradicated forever. 

Flat Lined

What do you do with offenses? That situation where people say or do something that hurts your feelings and causes you to become resentful and bitter. Do you try to strike back or do you pledge to forgive? As I pondered this dilemma, the Lord gave me a vision. He showed me how I was to progress towards maturity when relationships become hurtful. 

In the first stage, I saw an EKG type graph of my heart condition being drawn. Each time the line dipped down low, it was like I had reached up and brought an offense down into heart. It was a spiritual heart attack in the making. I wanted to deal with the offense in my own wisdom. I wanted to be the one who administered judgment. When I realized my heart was festering under the tension, I knew I needed to forgive and hand the offense back up to God for His perfect will. These long low dips went along until I started to comprehend the meaning of the grace and compassion which God was trying to teach me.

The next stage, I noticed the dips were not as deep. My heart condition was improving. I didn’t place the offense in my heart as before but held it in front of me. Consciously I pondered whether I wanted to control the situation or give it to God. Was my demand to be right(ed) before I forgave worth it?  In the end, I knew forgiving then handing the offense over to God would be best. I was growing in the knowledge of what compassion really was and how grace could heal my heart. The holding time for offenses was shortening.

In the final stage, the line became totally flat. I heard the sound signaling death. My will to control had just died. My outstretched arms took the offense and immediately handed it over to God. My elbows never bent downward. I recognized that compassion with forgiveness was the best way to handle offenses. I was moving towards maturity by setting grace in motion instead my own style of retaliation.

In my natural life, I may have a short dip, flat line, and then a short dip again. Like the readings on an actually EKG, the dips and flat places are unpredictable. Offenses in life are unpredictable too. Some are more easily forgiven then others. However, no matter what the offense, my goal is always to forgive. 

A wise friend gave me this statement to ponder:

Take no offense and God will be your defense.

Meditating on this one nugget of wisdom has helped me keep my heart rate steady and my will aligned with His.

Do you have a plan for when offenses come your way? God is ready to show you His plan of action. While you are learning, try remembering my friend’s nugget of wisdom as well. If the saying can keep me in check, then I know it can help you.

So, as those who haven chosen of God, holy and beloved put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Colossians 3:12-13