Membley Baptist Church | How Bitterness Grows by Pastor Josephat Karanja – 13th Feb 2022
GROWTH OF BITTERNESS
Pst. Josephat Karanja, MBC
Hebrews 12: 15
looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; (Hebrews 12:15 NKJV)
– Watch out!
– Bitterness is poisonous.
– It troubles you before it affects others
We are called to look at bitterness in context of God.
Bitterness grows because:
– We nurture it
– We replay bitterness over and over
– We are happy when we share our bitterness
Therefore by their fruits you will know them (Matthew 7:20 NKJV)
Our actions define or identify us. Some actions in our lives tell whether we are bitter or not.
– We justify those actions
– Can make us revenge
– We react in ways that cause bitterness in others
How did Job deal with/ respond to bitterness?
– He cursed the day of his birth and conception! (Job 3: 4)
– He freely complained! (Job 10: 1- 7)
– He condemned God (Vs 3)
– Bitterness caused terror in jobs life (Job 30: 15)
– He fell into depression, pain, sleepless night.
Bitterness can lead us to a downward path.
Bitterness can make us identify ourselves with something else.
Naomi out of bitterness identified herself by the name Mara- bitterness (Ruth 1: 19-20).
How do we deal with bitterness?
Like Boaz to Ruth, we have a redeemer in Christ who will walk us through bitterness.
Job realized he had faulted in his bitterness. He repented (See Job 40: 4- 5).
Therefore I despise myself and repent in dust and ashes. (Job 42:6 NIV)
Growth of bitterness is broken by:
- Recognizing its harmful on self (internal)
- Controlling that you do not cause bitterness to others (external)
In Genesis, God warns Cain against bitterness and sin:
If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it.” (Genesis 4:7 NIV).
Unfortunately Cain failed to counter bitterness, he killed Abel.
We must master and subdue bitterness in our lives to be victorious and free.
Like the monkey bars game, we must have strength to cut of bitterness to be able to move on.
May God help us to master how to overcome bitterness.
God bless.