It can be very easy for us to allow bitterness to come into our lives. There can be a situation that goes bad, a person that is mean or rude, or a host of other negative events that comes into our lives. If we are not careful, a wrong attitude at the start can grow into bitterness – eventually poisoning our lives in every way.
This is a message I preached in high school chapel last week (well, an outline of it).
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(Read Heb. 12:1-17)
v. 15 – “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;”
- Bitterness affects you first and strongest.
- Bitterness does not just affect your life, it affects the life of everyone around you.
I. What is Bitterness?
- Strong animosity
- Severe grief, anguish, or disappointment
- Resentment or cynicism
II. The Cause of Bitterness
- All bitterness can be prevented and stopped
- Bitterness stems from a wrong attitude or spirit (Job 7:11)
- Situations:
- Authority rebukes or corrects (Heb. 12:5-11)
- Someone is mean to you, or you think that they are (Heb. 12:16-17; Gen. 25:29-34)
- Someone wrongfully blames you for something
III. The Cure for Bitterness (Eph. 4:31)
- Realize your own sinfulness (1 John 1:8-10)
- Forgiveness (Matt. 6:14-15)
- Learn how to take rebuke and correction properly
– It is either:
- True: fix it
- False: ignore it