[x_custom_headline type=”left” level=”h4″ looks_like=”h4″]Have you ever had a splinter in your finger? If you have you know just how painful such a little wound can be. If that splinter is not removed, your body will go into action against it. Your body wants that splinter out. Sometimes your finger will swell, or turn various colors, or even fill up with pus. These things are reactions to the invasion of that splinter in your finger.[/x_custom_headline]

Offense is like that splinter. Bitterness results from an offense that is allowed to remain and simmer on the inside of a person. That offense then becomes bitterness.

Bitterness will then cause all sorts of trouble in your life. And in addition, the bitterness inside of you will defile and pollute others, is what the Bible tells us.

[x_blockquote cite=”Hebrews 12:14-15 KJV” type=”left”]“14 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord: 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;”[/x_blockquote]

[highlight]The Life in the Spirit New Testament Commentary[/highlight] states that, “Bitterness denotes that irritable state of mind that keeps a man in perpetual animosity…that makes him sour…and infuses venom into the words of his tongue.”

Bitterness is a huge troublemaker in a person’s life. It not only hurts you, it will hurt others if you allow bitterness to become a part of you. So, then what do you do about it? Well, the Bible gives us the answer to that question.

[x_blockquote cite=”Ephesians 4:31-32 KJV” type=”left”]“31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”[/x_blockquote]

When we get into verse 32, we see that the Lord expects us to operate in forgiveness. But the reason so many people struggle to forgive others, is because they haven’t first “put away from them” these things listed here, which begins with bitterness.

To put bitterness and these other sins away from you, could be compared to pulling up the anchor on a boat, setting the sails, and letting it drift out to sea, never to be seen again. It means that you are ridding them from your life, not that you are boxing them up to be put on a shelf for later use.

In other words, before you can forgive others, you must first deal with the sins of BITTERNESS, WRATH, ANGER, CLAMOUR, EVIL SPEAKING and MALICE in your own life. Because you will never be able to forgive someone else all the while you are still harboring these sins and attitudes within yourself.

Let me define these sins for you, so that you can see why it is essential to get them out of your life, immediately.

BITTERNESS is a hard, cynical outlook toward life and toward other people.

WRATH could also be translated as “rage.” A wrathful person is someone who is hotheaded and refuses to restrain his rage.

ANGER is an inner desire to punish others and take revenge against someone. It involves emotional outbursts and resentment.

CLAMOUR could easily be translated as “brawling.” It means to fight physically, but also to get up into someone’s face and intimidate them.

EVIL SPEAKING is slander. It involves being crafty enough in your speech as to injure others and to destroy their reputations.

MALICE is a deep, dark hunger for seeing others hurt.

Each of these sinful things are the close companions of bitterness. So, if you are willing to tolerate bitterness in your life, each of these things will be right there to help you destroy yourself, as well as to bring damage, sometimes irreparable damage, to others as well.

So, what do we do about all of this? We are to become kind to one another, according to Ephesians 4:32 above.

KINDNESS = to learn to exercise thoughtful consideration.

We have to abandon one mental condition and become its opposite. We are to leave harshness, bitterness and sharpness and become thoughtful, considerate and kind.

TENDERHEARTED = to become compassionate towards others and towards their needs.

If you will begin doing what the Bible says to do, it will change your life completely. Treat bitterness like a poison that you absolutely do not want in your system. Instead, choose to forgive, and to be kind and tenderhearted. This not only keeps the devil from having an open door in your life, it also begins to attract good people to you, which brings promotion and advancement.

[highlight]Get bitterness out of your life,[/highlight] and watch how God’s blessings begin to flow towards you continually.