Ephesians 4:30-32, “And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice. And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
Life is often unfair because the devil does not fight according to anyone’s rules. The devil often works through selfish people and difficult circumstances to challenge us to accept bitterness. But God has never told us to avenge ourselves (get justice) or to take out vengeance (punishment) upon the people that hurt us. When we allow the injustices of life to make us bitter we lower ourselves to the level of our circumstances and the people who hurt us.
Bitterness is a choice because we are told we can put it away. Bitterness is a wrong choice when we choose unforgiveness over love. Bitterness grows out of our refusal to let go when:
a. LOSS – Someone or something is taken from us (loss of a loved one, reputation, position, benefit, time, or privilege).
b. HURT – Someone sins against us, offends us, or is unjust (It is often from a refusal to release the hurt or forgive a transgression and the offense toward us while retaining it in our heart).
It becomes not just a wound in us seeking healing but a prosecuting attorney building a case against the guilty.
Bitterness can be a root that causes other things to surface (Hebrews 12:14-15). Bitter roots produce things that show up (James 3:11-14). It is allowing the seeds of an offense to germinate and grow roots in us. Those roots will produce bad fruit in words, thoughts, and actions. It can change the kind of person we are and bring out the worst in us.
God’s Word reveals several other causes of bitterness that help us to identify it:
1. Jacob was bitter at witnessing the blessing of another (Genesis 27:34).
2. Hannah was bitter due to barrenness (1 Samuel 1:10).
3. The challenges of raising children can cause bitterness (Proverbs 17:25).
4. The challenges of marriage can cause bitterness (Colossians 3:19).
5. Witnessing the prosperity of the wicked can lead to bitterness (Psalm 37).
6. Bitterness can come from a wrong response to adversity (James 1:2), disappointments
(Hebrews 12:1-3), the Lord’s correction (Hebrews 12:5), and offense (James 3:11-14).
7. Bitterness can come from hard bondage, heavy burdens, and the hardships of life (Exodus
1:14).
We are told in Ephesians 4:31 to let all bitterness be put away from us so it must be possible. It is possible when we are empowered by God’s provisions.
Pastor John Rasicci is the founder and Pastor of Word of His Grace Church in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, where we are building people who are building the Church. Pastor's ministry mission is to help people discover God's dream for their Life, the Local Church, and the Last Days' Harvest. With a strong emphasis on the grace of God and with a prophetic voice, Pastor John preaches and teaches in churches, conferences, and crusades both locally and throughout the world. He has produced books, tapes, and other teaching materials to empower, enable, and equip Believers with the Word of God. Pastor John is married to his wife Candy who with their three children, Krista, Joanna, John Anthony, and two son-in-laws, Matt and Doug, serve together in the ministry. After graduating from Kent State University, Pastor John pursued a career in professional baseball before accepting the call to the ministry. He and his wife, Candy, received their ministry training from Rhema Bible Training Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
John Rasicci 
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