Jolted Part 1

I started reading a book about bitterness today, mostly out of necessity. I have reached the point where I am actually searching for things to be bitter about. It started out innocent enough. Grave sins were committed agains my family and me, and I truly thought I could respond with righteous anger. I just didn't think it would take so long to get over it, and that other things would accumulate after that. 

Jim Wilson, the author of this book, doesn't let me off easy either. In his first essay, he points out that to be bitter is a sin, no matter how you justify it. Wow. That's put a crick in my day. As I was in the midst of reading his points, I kept trying to justify myself and he left no way out. Thank you Jim Wilson. 

The first thing I need to grasp from his essay was the verse he began with: 

"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 Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." ~Ephesians 4:31-5:2

This verse is very heavy. Who can go against the command of God? And who can not obey this, when God could have been bitter towards all humanity for murdering His only son? There are many questions I have that stem from this verse, but for today, I think it is best that I simply soak it in. 

Wilson goes on to say that a characteristic of bitterness is remembering details. Alright, I do that. A lot. I remember every wrong and probably even come up with imaginary wrongs. And I am a girl a Norther girl, naturally analytical. Great. 

Wilson in this section first identifies whether or not you have bitterness, and then explains that one must dig up the root, otherwise it'll sit inside and deteriorate the body, or the person will tell everyone, causing other people to be bitter and then in sin. I've already told a lot of people about my bitterness, and I've also let it steep inside me. Wilson says it doesn't matter the size of the offense, the bitterness is the same. He also says that bitterness often springs from relationships closest to us. 

His final point is that we often don't recognize our own bitterness or justify anger and bitterness because it is someone else's sin. Sure the other person sinned. But if they don't ever apologize and you hate them forever after is that their sin or yours? That is painful and scary to hear. 

In the study guide for the book, he asks a key question to lead off a study and overcoming of bitterness: What does God require us to do with all our bitterness? 

His answer is found in James 3:14-15, that we are not to boast about it or deny the truth. The key to overcoming bitterness is repentance. May God give me the ability to repent of my bitterness and move forward in the journey to overcoming it. 

"For a cup brimful of sweet water

 cannot spill even one drop of bitter water, 

however suddenly jolted."

~Amy Carmichael