Rejecting The Seed of Bitterness

The analogy of seeds to our everyday life and respective journeys is an accurate one. We are conceived as seeds in the womb, are birthed, and go through our lives growing physically, mentally and spiritually. The Bible speaks about the vine and the branches symbolizing Christ and his church. It speaks of God's Word as a seed planted in the hearts of the unbeliever. However, Scripture also addresses what can happen when the seeds, representing what our inner person is built on, begin to rot with bitterness. Interesting that nature so completely symbolizes what can happen to a person's "inner" being: where we truly think, feel, act and live.

In Psychology Today, the following comment regarding bitterness was posted recently in an article titled, "Bitterness: The Next Mental Disorder?":

"Bitterness is 'so common and so deeply destructive,' writes Shari Roan at the Los Angeles Times, 'that some psychiatrists are urging it be identified as a mental illness under the name post-traumatic embitterment disorder.' 'The disorder is modeled after post-traumatic stress disorder,' she continues, 'because it too is a response to a trauma that endures. People with PTSD are left fearful and anxious. Embittered people are left seething for revenge.' " (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/side-effects/200905/bitterness-the-next-mental-disorder)

The seed of bitterness kills any good fruit, and it can kill your joy. I truly believe that a lack of joy is symptomatic of a bitter person. Extreme negativity and an unwillingness to maintain normal relationships can also be a sign of more serious problems. The fact is, psychology can tell us what is wrong, but only a person can change and in my experience, allow God to move out the bitter seed and replace it with an open can of "Act Right." Now, that's not scripture, but the Bible has something to say about bitterness....

Ephesians 4:31-32 ESV

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

What an incredible truth! When you are kind, it is impossible to be bitter. In English (literature, not language), we speak about "binary opposites" or "binary oppositions." Simply put, it is a pair of words that are completely opposite, like "up" and "down." According to Ferdinand de Saussure, each word is defined by what it is not. In the first part of the scripture, Paul lists bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and slander in the next sentence, he lists the opposites of these things: kindness, tenderness, giving forgiveness and being Christlike. You cannot be both kind and bitter, or tender and angry! These are our "binary oppositions" in Christianity! The book of James states so clearly, "If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless." James 1:26 ESV


I've experienced being the "bitterer" and the "bitteree" (with apologies to my fellow English majors). It's not fun. And you often don't realize that it has taken hold of your life until someone points it out. Listen to the people who love you. If you are often being corrected on this point, or for an ugly remark or attitude, take it to Him. If you have heard people comment about someone else as being "negative" or "harsh," it's time to......again, take it to Him.

My father gave me some great advice that has really served me well. He said, "Why not try caring about that person? Asking what is wrong? Care and concern go a long way." Maybe this person is suffering in ways we cannot understand. Take it to Him!

For all of those who notice I refer to bitterness as a "seed" and not "seeds", it is because I truly believe that ONE seed of bitterness leads to more. We cannot allow even one seed to enter our lives.God can handle our weaknesses and as He has done so many times, forgive them and love us so much that it changes our perspective about others and ourselves. What an Awesome concept! Love kills bitterness.


Proverbs 10:12 ESV

Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.

Because of Him,

Tess