Are you familiar with the phrase, his nose is out of joint? What does it take to put your nose out of joint to get you miffed? What are the feelings you experience when you get miffed? Are they positive, uplifting joyful emotional vibrations? Lets come at this from a different direction. Are you familiar with the word sulk. The dictionary says that sulking is, "keeping aloof from others in moody silence..
Someone said, "Bitterness is a devastating attitude sin. It triggers a wide range of other sins, such as: hatred, cruelty, antagonism, self-pity, unteachableness (implacability), vindictiveness and desires for revenge and prideful ambition (arrogance). Bitterness is characterized by an unforgiving spirit and negative, critical attitudes."
Bitterness motivates habitual complaining. It has been writen. Bitter people find great delight in gossip. Bitterness fragments other peoples lives.
Bitterness is self induced misery, and it produces chain sinning A chronically bitter person is his own worst enemy and difficult to maintain a relationship with.
Doctors call high blood pressure the silent killer. That's because you can't see nor feel the presence of high blood pressure until it has already done it's damage. Bitterness is to our spiritual and emotional being what high blood pressure is to our physical bodies.
"It's important to regularly give you a checkup for roots of bitterness. Perhaps its the real silent killer, the cause of sleepless nights, ulcers, agitation irritability, angry words, lost friendships, ruined marital relationships, separated families and a host of other expensive consequences.
If you are like me, you have plans and dreams for your life and for the lives of your children, friends, families and your community. If they are big, beautiful, Godly dreams, they can only be realized through the power of the Spirit filled life. Bitterness robs us of the power to achieve those dreams.
Understanding the Words Bitter and Bitterness. In our language 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 speak of a "bitter loss" when someone's death has caused deep grief.
The Greek words for "bitter" and "bitterness" originally meant "sharp", or "pointed". Then it was used more generally for anything that had a pervasive smell or a "shrill" noise. The word was used for the bitter taste of some plants. Finally it was used of personal experience when something was unpleasant and undesirable
Each of us have an inner sense of what is right, or fair, or just. When that is violated a natural result is to react, to right wrongs and correct injustices or to become bitter.
Bitterness is a giant emotional step toward lawlessness. Lawlessness is an expression of idolatry. This was a startling revelation to me. Bitterness in not a stupid, private little game we play in our hearts. It is a risky challenge to the right to rule.
We must identify the source of our bitterness. On a sheet of paper write your answers to the following questions. List the event and the surrounding circumstances that provoked bitterness. List the name of the person or the group that hurt you. List the consequences of the bitterness in your life. List how it has affected your health and your relationships. Write out in detail how it has impacted your personality and outlook on life...
Questions?
1. Share when you first became aware of the power of bitterness.
2. What do bitterness and high blood pressure have in common?
3. List as many symptoms of bitterness as you can think of.
4. Share some attitudes we can develop that will stop the root from growing
