Bitterness
Introduction
This is a study on the Bible concept of bitterness.
Bitterness is one of the most crushing mental problems in a person's
life. When a Christian is bitter, there is a loss of close fellowship
with the Lord and a hindrance in one's relationship with the Lord
Jesus Christ.. Bitterness causes a loss of many of the blessings
of the normal Christian life, including emotional stability, peace,
and joy. And bitterness results in the loss of production of good
works (gold, silver, precious stones) which are a major source
of blessing and reward in the plan of God.
Bitterness is a devastating mental attitude sin, and it triggers
a wide range of other sins, such as:
Hatred
Cruelty
Antagonism
Self-pity
Unteachableness (implacability)
Vindictiveness and desires for revenge
Prideful ambition (arrogance)
Bitterness is neither consistent nor rational. A bitter person
is his own worst enemy. It is very difficult to maintain any kind
of relationship with a chronically bitter person; and bitterness
is a major contributing cause of marital and family problems.
The objective in this short article is to provide Christians with
a thorough look at what the Bible says about bitterness, including
many Scripture examples, then to offer some direction about how
to have victory over bitterness.
There are quite a few companion studies in the Grace Notes library
which can help identify the mental attitude sin of bitterness
and help deal with it from divine viewpoint.
Other topics: Mental Attitude Sin; Faith-Rest; Peace; Depression
Definition
In English, the concept of mental bitterness comes from the idea
of something that has a sharp or unpleasant taste. We speak of
something being bitter if it causes grief or is hard to bear;
"a bitter defeat", "bitter failure". We also
speak of a "bitter loss" when someone's death has caused
great grief.
Then, bitterness has come to be used of those things that cause
pain or grief, such as "bitter remarks" or the actions
of "bitter enemies." We say "he fought to the bitter
end", meaning a struggle in the last extremity.
The biblical Greek words for PIKROS = "bitter" and PIKRIA
= "bitterness", and other derivatives. PIKROS originally
meant "sharp", or "pointed". Then it was used
more generally for anything that was penetrating to the senses,
something that had a pervasive smell or a "shrill" noise.
PIKRA was used for the bitterness of the taste of some plants,
and finally found use in speaking of personal experience when
something was unpleasant, undesirable, or when something bad was
unexpected.
The words PIKROS or PIKRIA are used about 40 times in the Septuagint
(Greek translation of the Old Testament), only rarely to refer
to literal bitterness, such as the reference to "bitter"
water in Exo. 15:23. Usually it is a reference to men who are
(pikroi) "the bitter ones" when they are soured or cruel
(Ruth 1:20; Hab. 1:6).
There are seven instances of these words in the New Testament:
Matt. 26:75; Luke 22:62; Acts 8:23; Rom. 3:14; Eph. 4:31; James
3:11,14.
So, in the Bible, except when it is obvious that the actual taste
of something in meant, PIKRIA refers to intensity of suffering
of mind and body, something that is difficult to bear, something
that causes animosity and reaction, something that is brought
about by hatred or antagonism.
Bible Examples of Bitterness
- Women are bitter because they cannot have children, 1 Sam
1:10.
- A foolish son is bitterness to his mother, Prov. 17:25.
- Divine discipline (chastisement) of the Jewish people caused
bitterness. This demonstrates the weakness and failure of the
people. Bitterness destroyed the people's spiritual lives. The
Jews brought on self-destruction by their bitterness.
Lam. 1:4; Amos 8:10; Ezek. 27:30; Isa. 33:7; 2 Kings 14:26.
- Slavery causes bitterness, Exo. 1:14.3.
- Suffering causes bitterness to people who do not understand
problem solving devices, principles, and give number one priority
to relationship with God. Deut. 32:24.
- Ridicule is a source of bitterness, Lam 3:14. The people
ridiculed Jeremiah because of their bitterness toward him. When
truth is taught, people react in bitterness.
- Consummate human pride is a cause of bitterness, Acts 8:23.
- Degeneracy is a source of bitterness, Rom. 3:14.
- Cosmic involvement is a source of bitterness, Eph 4:31.
- Husbands and wives are a source of bitterness toward each
other, Col 3:19.
The Results of Bitterness
- Bitterness is antisocial. A bitter person is selfish, inconsiderate
of others, withdrawn from society, indifferent or adverse to
conformity with conventional standards of social behavior. Even
strangers avoid bitter people, Prov. 14:10. No one is happy around
bitter people.
- Bitterness is a sign of the fragmented life, Jer. 2:19.
- A bitter person rejects Bible teaching. James 3:14, "But
if you have bitter jealousy and strife, stop being arrogant and
lying against the truth."
- Bitterness shows total lack of grace orientation. A bitter
person does not understand the Plan of God, let alone how it
affects individuals. In Job. 9:17-18, Job's complaint against
God. "Why does God let this happen to me", is a statement
of bitterness.
- Bitterness accompanies the sin unto death, Job. 21:25.
- Bitterness motivates complaining, Job 7:11, 10:1. People
who habitually complain are bitter people; they have no self
esteem.
- Bitterness motivates gossip, Psalm 64:3
- Bitterness fragments other peoples lives. Heb 12:15, "See
to it that no one comes short of the grace of God and that no
root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by it many
be defiled.
- Bitterness is self induced misery, and it produces chain
sinning. Bitterness is misery to others in the periphery. But
two wrongs never make a right. You cannot build your happiness
on someone else's unhappiness.
Recovery From Bitterness
Isa 38:17, "Behold, bitterness became deliverance to me.
In Your love You have delivered my soul out of the pit of destruction;
for You have cast all my sins behind my back."
Ephesians 1:8 tells us that we have available to us "wisdom
and prudence" which are part of God's grace provision for
us. Wisdom comes with a thorough understanding of Bible doctrine
and the principles of Christian living. Prudence is the practical
use of applied Bible truth in making decisions and solving problems
in this life.
You can use the following practical methods to deal with bitterness
in your life, regardless of the cause.
Many of these topics is discussed in considerably more detail
in other Grace Notes articles, but this outline will give you
ideas on how you can make specific application of doctrine to
help with real world problems.
Confession of Sin
Personal sin leads to bitterness. You must deal with sin on a
daily basis by confessing and moving on. If you don't do this,
sin becomes a burden which clouds your joy, drains your spiritual
energy, and destroys your productivity and vitality. In short,
sin is always depressing.
1 John 1:9 states that when you confess your sins, God "is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from
all unrighteousness."
In privacy, make a list of your mental attitude sins, verbal sins,
and behavior sins. Ask the Lord to make you aware of the habits
of your own life. Respond immediately to the Holy Spirit when
He uses the Word to spotlight your sin. Name the sin to God; then
rejoice in forgiveness and cleansing and your renewed fellowship
with God. All the promises and provisions of God the Father are
now available to you. Make it a spiritual habit to confess sins
whenever they show up in your life.
Topic: BIBLICAL CONFESSION
The Filling of the Holy Spirit
The Holy Spirit fills you and controls your life when you have
no unconfessed sin in your life. You can trust the Holy Spirit
to reveal sin to you when you commit it, or even before. When
the Holy Spirit in control, He produces His fruit (Gal. 5:12).
The fruit of the Spirit does not include heaviness, bitterness,
discouragement, disillusion, anguish, sadness, dejection, or loss
of productivity. Consider these points:
o Love is free from bitterness.
o Joy pushes bitterness out.
o Bitterness can not coexist with peace in the soul of the believer
filled with the Holy spirit.
o Longsuffering gives the ability to deal with bitterness and
other troubles.
o Gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance are fruits
of righteousness, which is divine good. Divine good takes the
place of bitterness.
Topic: HOLY SPIRIT
Living in the Word
By constant study and meditation in the Bible you are constantly
reminded of God's viewpoint, of His Plan, of His provision, or
His awareness of our spirit of bitterness and what He want to
accomplish in us. Living in the sphere of human viewpoint is a
source of bitterness. Living in the Word gradually transplants
you to a new sphere, a new environment for your life, in which
there is victory over bitterness.
Topic: EDIFICATION
Orientation to Grace
Bitterness is often caused by people, most of the time by people
we cannot escape, or people we love, or people we cannot confront,
or people we trust. Grace Orientation includes the ability to
look at people and see them as God sees them. It includes the
ability to let them live their lives as unto the Lord, and trusting
God to make His way clear to them. This technique lets people
make mistakes without your judging them. It enables you to accept
criticism without hurt or bitterness. It enables you to "esteem
other better than yourself", to "do nothing through
strife or vainglory."
Topic: GRACE
Occupation with Christ
The technique of Occupation with Christ helps to cure bitterness
because it gets your eyes off your spouse, your children, your
neighbors, your friends, and yourself. Instead, as you move through
the day, you are thinking about the Lord Jesus Christ, His plan
for your life, the Father's provision for each incident in your
life, and His provision of wisdom for each decision you must make.
Occupation with Christ is a by-product of the Faith-Rest Life.
Bitterness is a by-product of occupation with self, with life,
with problems.
Topic: OCCUPATION WITH CHRIST
The Faith-Rest Life (Trusting God and Enjoying Peace)
Faith-Rest is believing the promises of God and then entering
into the "rest" phase of Christian living by claiming
and enjoying those promises. Therefore, you must search the Scriptures
daily to remind yourself of promises, and to learn new ones. You
must know who and what God is so that you will not hesitate to
believe that He can do what He has promised to do. Study the attributes
of God using verses about the Essence of God. Know Him as He reveals
Himself in the Bible. Believe Him when He tells you what He will
do for you. Count on it. Let your faith rest on it. Cast your
burden on the Lord.
Topic: FAITH-REST
Relaxed Mental Attitude
A relaxed mental attitude is based on knowing God and on having
the divine production in the soul that comes with the fruit of
the Holy Spirit. A relaxed mental attitude is one of the results
of Living in the Word, Walking in Fellowship, practicing the Faith-Rest
Life, and being occupied with Christ. All of the components of
bitterness melt away when God provides this attribute.
Topic: MENTAL ATTITUDE
Mastering of the Details of Life
We are all involved with details of life. Either we master them,
or they master us! If you are a slave to one or more details of
life, your thoughts are devoted to them, and they drive you. They
dominate your thoughts, your conversation, your decisions. Slavery
to the details of life leads to disillusion, disappointment, and
bitterness.
Mastery of the details of life means that you look to the Lord
for every detail. Your happiness does not depend on people, circumstances
or things. You have the peace of God that passes understanding.
You have learned to be content under any circumstances. You can
wait for the Lord's timing in providing the details you want;
you can enjoy them when you have them; and you can remain happy
when the Lord sees fit Not to provide some detail.
Inner Happiness
Inner happiness is not possible for a Christian who is occupied
with himself and his needs. Inner happiness is a state of rejoicing
based on knowing that God is everything He claims to be and that
He can do what He has promised. Inner happiness is the joy of
living where every provision for physical, emotional, and spiritual
well-being is being made by God in the life of a Christian who
is walking in daily fellowship with Him.
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