Freedom from Bitterness

I learned something transformational from Larry Crabb a long time ago that I have passed on to believers in every culture in which I have ministered. (I haven't been in touch with him for a long time, but I have great respect for him and his amazing contributions to the Body of Christ throughout the years. If you read this, Larry, I miss you!) I recently had the honor and opportunity to share this among some of our persecuted brothers and sisters in another land and it seemed to really impact their lives and bring them liberation. It's a simple concept about how to avoid becoming bitter in the course of living life in a fallen world. Someone has well said, "We either get bitter or better."

This concept has to do with how we either react or respond to the injustices done against us in this life and we, as believers, tend to follow a cycle when we are sinned against. First we feel hurt and angry (not necessarily wrong responses). Then we tend to evaluate that this person who has wronged us has blocked our goal. Then, as we contemplate the offense, we become embittered and resentful toward this person. Then we realize that we've become bitter and that we should not be so. So...we pray prayers to forgive them and may even go beyond this and do acts of love and kindness to overcome the evil with good. However, this is an incomplete process and does not effectively free our spirits from resentment.

The problem lies with the second step where we evaluate what has happened to us. If we believe that a human being can block the real goals of our life, then we have given human beings too much power over our souls and bitterness will become unavoidable. If, however, we view the injustices as a "blocked desire" (maybe even a powerful, prayer-filled and passionate one) then the bitterness trap can be avoided. Someone else said that "bitterness is like drinking poison and thinking that the other person is going to die!" (Shades of The Princess Bride-ha) The key then is to adopt the proper goal of life and set it squarely within the "hidden person of the heart". And that goal, in my view, should be the same for every believer...to get to know God better...to be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ..or however you want to say it. Then our bitterness will melt down to the level of a disappointment and our prayers and kindnesses will serve to lift it from us over time.