A bitter root will produce bitter fruit.
For your emotional and spiritual health, you must let your anger and/or bitterness go. It doesn't make sense to hold on to it. After all, you can't do anything about the past, but you can do something about the future. You might as well forgive the people who offended you, and start trusting God to make it up to you.
The Scripture says, "See that....no root of resentment(rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it" (Heb. 12:15). Notice, bitterness is described as a root. Think about that. You can't see a root; it's deep down under the ground. But you can be sure of this: A bitter root will produce bitter fruit. If we have bitterness on the inside, it's going to affect every area of our lives.
Many people attempt to bury the hurt and pain deep in their hearts or in their subconscious minds. They don't realize it, but much of their inner turmoil is because their own heart is poisoned. The Bible says, "Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life" (Proverb 4:23). In other words, if we have bitterness on the inside, it's going to end up contaminating everything that comes out of us. It will contaminate our personalities and our attitudes, as well as how we treat other people.
Dare to go deeper. Dare to check the root of the fruit. If you're harboring anger, ask yourself why? If you have trouble getting along with other people, if you're always negative-about yourself, about others, about life in general, dare to ask yourself, "What produced this anger in me?" When you get to the root, you'll be able to deal with the problem, overcome it, and can truly begin to change.
When you forgive, you in no way change the past, but you sure do change the future. Bernard Meltzer
Forgive us our sins, just as we have forgiven those who have sinned against us. Mt 6:12
A Prayer For Today: Lord, today I pray like the psalmist David, "Search me, O God, and know my heart, test my thoughts. Point out anything you find in me that makes you sad". If there's even the smallest root of bitterness in me, please dig it up and remove it. If there's the smallest sign of resentment, decontaminate my heart and get rid of it. Above all, I want to please You. Reveal anything that might keep me from being free.
Takeaway Truth: When I hold on to the poison of the past, I'm hurting only myself. But I can be made whole through forgiveness.
Part 4: Toxic free
The Pham
December 2011
