One of the first cooking secrets I have ever learned from my yaya back
then was soaking and rubbing rock salt on Ampalaya (bitter gourd) to
make it less bitter. My yaya says excess bitterness would make the
dish taste bad, and would just discourage kids like me from eating
veggies.
Bitterness in both vegetables and in people indeed leaves a bad taste
in the mouth. When we are bitter about something, it clouds our
judgement. It ruins our day. and even ruins the way we interact with
others.
And so, in his letter to the early church, Paul the Apostle encourages
believers to get rid of bitterness in their hearts. To forgo anger and
other unhealthy emotions, so that we can live harmoniously with each
other and fulfill God’s calling for us without distractions.
“Make every effort to live in peace with everyone and to be holy;
without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one
falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to
cause trouble and defile many.” Hebrews 12:14-15
But where does bitterness come from? Bitterness is usually an
unprocessed hurt. It usually happens when we get offended over
something, and the person who hurt us failed to seek our forgiveness.
Bitterness, in short, is anger, resentment, and unforgiveness all
rolled into one.
The Bible cautions us against harboring this ill sentiment towards
others as the enemy uses it as an opportunity to tempt us to sin.
Bitterness, when unchecked, can provoke us into seeking revenge,
spreading malicious gossip, and intentionally harming the person who
hurt us.
“In your anger do not sin” Do not let the sun go down while you are
still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” Ephesians 4:26-27
According to St. Paul, the solution to eliminate bitterness from our
lives is to forgive. While it is never easy to forgive an offense,
especially if it is way deep or continues to hurt us, the Bible says
we are not meant to draw emotional strength from our own reserves. We
are to tap into Jesus’ endless supply of mercy so that we can muster
forgiving the person who hurt us, and move on from that pain.
“Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander,
along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one
another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”
Ephesians 4:31-32
When we think of how much mercy God has given us, even if we do not
deserve it, we will find it relatively easier to let go of our anger
and bitterness towards another. After all, who are we to harbor a
grudge on someone who offended us, when Jesus died for us even before
we asked for forgiveness, even during the time we are still rebelling
from God.
“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love,
as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and
sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1-2
As we let go of our bitterness, resentment and anger from the people
who hurt us, we will experience the freedom of having a peaceful heart
that refuses to find fault in others. Apart from being at peace that
we have obeyed God in His command to forgive those who hurt us, our
minds will also be clearer because we will no longer rehearse the hurt
inflicted upon us.
Let us remember, we are not called to be super tight again with the
persons who beat our heart blue. We are just called to forgive them,
so that we can unshackle ourselves from the chain of pain that keeps
us from moving forward.
We should stop replaying in our minds the hurt we felt, we should stop
repeating the offense we felt to the person who hurt us, and we should
also stop spreading the story about this offense to other people.
Instead, we should play and replay in our hearts, the undeserved mercy
and forgiveness we have received from the Lord, and the new life He
has called us to.
“If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat, and if he is thirsty,
give him water to drink, for you will heap burning coals on his head,
and the LORD will reward you.” Proverbs 25:21-22
Thank you for reading through our devotional today. I invite you to
ponder on Ephesians 4:17-32 to dig deeper on today’s topic.
Reflection Question: Are you harboring bitterness in your heart? What
keeps you from forgiving those who have hurt you?
Conversation with the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for loving us
and forgiving our trespasses against you. Give us the strength to
follow your example as we endeavor to eliminate bitterness in our
lives. We know that as you call on us to forgive others, you in turn
free us from the chains of anger, resentment, and bitterness that
clouds our days and keeps our heart from being truly joyful. Amen.
