No Bitterness Allowed

Ephesians 4:31 — Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.

Ultimately, the only person who won’t fail you is God.  People will fail you.  Yet we are still called to be in relationship.  Do you know what my biggest problem with the fallibility of the people in my life has become?  Bitterness.  It is so easy to let bitterness seep in and poison your thoughts, your heart, and your relationships.  I know this, because I have experienced it.  And I’m writing this for those of you who live in a place of bitterness, and might be helped by a piece of my journey.

Perhaps the bitterness is hidden deep.  Perhaps you only just realized it is there.  Or perhaps it has taken hold so firmly that you spew anger and frustration all over anyone who comes near you.  I’ve been in both of those places as well.  No matter where you are on the bitterness spectrum — there is only one answer.

Jesus must be your only stronghold.

Expecting someone else to take His place or perform His role in comforting you, strengthening you, restoring your energy, filling the deep emotional needs of your soul — those expectations are setting someone in your life up for failure in your sight, and setting yourself up for bitterness.  No one — absolutely no one else but Jesus can meet all your needs.

And then there’s the real business of life.  Yes, Jesus will meet our needs — that is absolutely true.  But life is not all about getting our own needs met is it?  That’s the other root of bitterness — focusing on the the things we think we need instead of focusing on following.  Following Jesus.  Living like He lived.  Living to serve others without thought for self.

My life needs to be about Following Jesus.  Bitterness cannot take root where following Jesus is the focus of life.

I Will Follow by Chris Tomlin

All Your Ways are good, All Your ways are sure.

I will trust in you alone.

Higher than my sight. High Above my life,

I will trust in you alone.

Where you go I’ll go, where you stay, I’ll stay

Where you move, I’ll move. I will follow you.

Where you love I’ll love,  How you serve, I’ll serve

If this life I lose, I will follow you.

I will follow you.

Light unto the world, Light unto my life

I will live for you alone.

You’re the one I seek, Knowing I will find  All I need in You alone.  I will follow You.

In You there’s life everlasting.

In You, there’s freedom for my soul

In You there’s joy, unending joy.  So I will follow.

Where you go I’ll go, where you stay, I’ll stay

Where you move, I’ll move. I will follow you.

Where you love I’ll love,  How you serve, I’ll serve

If this life I lose, I will follow you.

I will follow you.

If you are in a place of bitterness right now — no matter how small or how big — God can overcome it.  I encourage you to read all of Psalm 27  today and perhaps even memorize it.  I especially love the conclusion in verses 13-14

Psalm 27:13-14 (NIV)

I remain confident of this:  I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.

Jesus is our confidence.  And with Jesus as the focus of our confidence — the focus of our very lives, no bitterness is allowed to remain.