Beating Bitterness

Introduction

Good morning. If you will open in your Bibles with me to Genesis chapter 37. Genesis chapter 37, we’re going to be speaking about the story of Joseph this morning. As you’re turning there, I wonder how many people, I’m not asking, but if I were to ask for a show of hands, how many people have made something way too big of a deal before? That’s a lot of guilty laughs. I just let one go too there. As you think about life, and the phrase hindsight is 2020. It’s one of the most sad and understandable and relatable phrases that we all kind of share. Because after something happens, we realize, now I know what I should have done. Or I wish I had done this, or this and that, or I wish I hadn’t reacted like this.

I wish I had given this type of response. After all, hindsight is, as we say, 2020. The thing about perspective is it really changes your life. If you think about what things should be before it happens, it changes your reaction in the moment. How many of us wouldn’t pay any sum of money or give anything that we had to go back and correct a moment in which we responded wrongly? How many of us would go back and try to change a sin that devastated not just our own relationship with God, but our relationship with others? One of the most difficult, tricky, and yet easily understandable sins that we struggle with is bitterness. This morning I’d like to discuss how to beat bitterness from Joseph’s example. But if you consider the fact that Ephesians chapter 4, verse 31 says to put away all bitterness, we’ll see the solution is found in those verses even as we move towards concluding the lesson this morning in verse 32 in particular.

But think about for a moment how we all struggle with bitterness. It’s pretty easy. Bitterness is most often something that catches us on the cheap. Here’s what I mean by that. How many of you have heard of a shooting or some sort of terrorist attack overseas or even in this country and been absolutely appalled? Been devastated, sad, confused, angry. But how does that compare to your reaction when your spouse or someone you love doesn’t do the laundry right or take out the trash the way they should. You see, we kind of have, by the way, I saw a bunch of women looking at their husbands. That was not the point of the illustration. But if you think about our reaction to mundane life things, it’s often way out of perspective.

It’s out of control. Bitterness is exactly that feeling. Bitterness is caused sometimes by an egregious error, an egregious wrong. Maybe somebody has wronged me. Maybe somebody has sinned against you. Bitterness happens not just as an appropriate response because bitterness is never an appropriate response. But it’s a negative reaction or feeling that overplays what should happen. And too often it leads to us rejecting principles of Christ, that is mercy, love, forgiveness, even simple kindness, and replacing it instead with not only feelings of bitterness, but also what accompanies it in Ephesians 4 and verse 31, words like wrath and anger. How do we control that? How do we overcome that? I think the key is perspective. And I think Joseph gives us a lot of that. If you look in Genesis chapter 37, he doesn’t really start great because of how he handles this special situation.

1. Joseph Thrown Into a Pit by His Brothers

But look in verse 5. Genesis chapter 37 and verse 5. We meet a younger Joseph. Here. In Genesis 37 and verse 5. Now Joseph had a dream, and when he told it to his brothers, they hated him even more. Good start. He said to them, Hear this dream that I have dreamed. Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and behold, my sheep arose and stood upright. And behold, your sheaves gathered around it and bowed down to my sheaf. His brother said to him, Are you indeed to reign over us? Or are you indeed to rule over us? So they hated him even more for his dreams and for his words. Then he dreamed another dream, and he told it to his brothers and said, Behold, I dreamed another dream.

Behold, the sun, the moon, and the eleven stars were bowing down to me. But when he told it to his father and to his brothers, his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow ourselves to the ground before you? And his brothers were jealous of him. But his father kept the saying in mind. You see, the seed for wrongdoing has already been planted. Of course, Joseph probably doesn’t handle this in the best way possible. I don’t think when you have a special dream that you’re going to rule rule over everyone. I think sibling etiquette number one says, you don’t walk up and say, Hey, you’re going to bow down to me.

Usually not a good play. And by the way, it also isn’t probably great to do that to your parents as well. So you can kind of understand some of the harsh response, even though no one laughed at that wonderful joke. But when you see in verse 11 the reaction, his father kept the saying in mind, but verse 11, what was the reaction of the brothers? They were jealous of him. Of course, the other thing we know about Joseph is that he had that special coat, that coat of many colors, that verse 3 and 4 was said because to be given to him because of the great love his father had for him. That played into the jealousy as well. And so note how the brothers of Joseph respond to him.

This is critical for us to gain perspective, to understand who Joseph is and what condition his brothers are in. In verse 12. Now his brothers went to pasture their father’s flock near Shechem. And Israel said to Joseph, Are not your brothers pasturing the flock at Shechem? Come, I will send you to them. And he said to him, Here I am. So he said to him, Go now, see if it is well with your brothers and with the flock, and bring me word. So he sent him from the valley of Hebron, and he came to Shechem. And a man found him wandering in the fields, and the man asked him, What are you seeking? He said, I am seeking my brothers. He said, Tell me, please, where they are pasturing the flock.

And the man said, They have gone away, for I heard them say, Let us go to Dothan. So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. They saw him from afar, and before he came near to them, they conspi against him to kill him. They said to one another, Here comes the dreamer. Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams. But when Reuben heard it, he he rescued him out of their hand, saying, Let us not take his life. And Reuben said to them, Shed no blood, throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him, that he might rescue him out of their hand, to restore him to his father.

So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his robe, the robe of many colors that he wore, and they took him and threw him into a pit. The pit was empty, and there was no water in it. Then they sat down to eat, and looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, with their camels bearing gum, balm, and myrrh on their way to carry it down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, What prophet is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let not our hand be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh. And his brothers listened to him. Then Midianite traders passed by, and they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit, and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty shekels of silver.

And they took Joseph to Egypt. Now, even Reuben, even Reuben, the boy, the brother, who comes and says, You know what, we don’t we need to not kill him. Let’s just throw him in a pit. I’m going to come back later, and I’m going to save him. We don’t need to have that blood on our hands. Even he goes along with what subplant subplant. We’re going to toss him into a pit. Here’s Joseph’s life so far. He had these dreams. He interpreted them to his family, and the response was what? We want to kill you. We’re going to throw you in a pit. And oh, yeah, because we’re going to be nice and because we’re gentle and because we’re family and want to profit from it, here you go.

We’re going to sell you off into slavery. If you want to be upset about something, let’s remember first and foremost who had it just about worse than anyone who didn’t point blank give up their life in the Bible. It was Joseph. Imagine being thrown into the pit by your family, by your brothers. Imagine perhaps even hearing dialogue, that’s speculation, but perhaps he even heard of what their intent was. Imagine the absolute horror when verse 28 comes to pass when they take him out of the pit and sell him to the Ishmaelites. Sell him into slavery. This is a bad day. This is a tough moment. And can we be very clear and say that the brothers acted sinfully against Joseph? This was wrong. This was not family oriented, and this certainly was not in accordance with God’s will.

2. Joseph Doesn’t Respond With Bitterness

And yet, what we know about Joseph is that years later, when he finds his brothers again, yes, there’s some time when there’s some dialogue that we’re not going to cover this morning for the sake of time. But when it comes to the point of making a decision, look in Genesis chapter 45 and note how Joseph doesn’t respond with bitterness. He doesn’t respond by lashing out at them. When he is in Egypt, when God has used him providentially to not only provide for the people of Egypt and storing up from interpreting a dream, by the way, storing up food for the people of Egypt when the famine came. God used Joseph to provide for his family and what was the people of Israel. In Genesis chapter 45, if you pick up the reading with me in verse 1, note Joseph’s response.

Think about how you would respond, and think about now how Joseph encounters his brothers. Then Joseph could not control himself before all those who stood by him. He cried, make everyone go out from me. So no one stayed with him when Joseph made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud so that the Egyptians heard it, and the household of Pharaoh heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed as at his presence. So Joseph said to his brothers, Come near to me, please. And they came near, and he said, I am your brother Joseph, whom you sold into Egypt. And now do not be distressed or angry with yourselves because you sold me here, for God sent me before you to preserve life.

For the famine has been in the land these two years, and there are yet five years in which there will be neither ploughing nor harvest. And God sent me before you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to keep alive for you many survivors. So it was not you who sent me here, but God. He has made me a father to Pharaoh and Lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt. Hurry and go up to my father and say to him, Thus says your son Joseph, God has made me Lord of all Egypt. Come down to me, do not tarry. You shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me. You and all your children, and your children’s children, and your flocks, your herds, and all that you have.

There I will provide for you, for there are yet five years of famine to come, so that you and your household and all that you have do not come to poverty. And now your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin see that it is my mouth that speaks to you. You must tell my father of all my honor in Egypt and of all that you have seen, hurry and bring my father down here. Then he fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck and wept. And Benjamin wept upon his neck, and he kissed all his brothers and wept upon them. After that, his brothers talked with him. And when he turned to chapter 50, when you consider verse 20 and 21, you note when they come to him, and they essentially finally find it within themselves to recognize and acknowledge that they did wrong, that they mistreated him, that they should be worried about his response.

They should be worried about how this would go. Note with me, verse 20. This is chapter 50 and verse 20. As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive as they are today. So do not fear.

Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them. This is a powerful story. I know that was a lot of verses to read right in a row like that. But we have to understand Joseph’s story. This Joseph, who is described in verse 21 as offering kind and comforting words, is the same Joseph from chapter 37, who was what? Thrown into a pit. It was discussed that he would be murdered. And yes, while in the pit, and then when they took him out, they sold him into slavery. That Joseph is the same Joseph with some age that we find in chapter 45 and chapter 50. And now I have to ask myself, whatever bitterness I’m struggling with that I’m about to confront head on in my heart and in my mind as we study the word of God, does it anywhere compare with what Joseph went through?

3. Let All Bitterness Be Put Away

I dare say, at least in my life, I know it does not. In a room of perhaps 200 something people, it might be that someone has experienced something they feel is worse. And yet Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 31, let’s turn there. It’s very clear. And how do we respond? Whether it was as bad as Joseph, whether it was worse, or the more likely scenario that it wasn’t nearly that bad. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 31 is still a commandment for all of God’s followers, for all of God’s children. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 31, when Paul’s describing the way of walking, the way of being pleasing to him, in verse 31 he says, Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you along with all malice, but rather what in verse 32?

What is the difference? How do we respond? Be kind to one another. Joseph did that. Didn’t he? He spoke the kind words and he comforted them. Look at the next phrase in verse 32. Tenderhearted. What was Joseph’s response when he was finally with his brothers when he finally revealed himself to them? What did he physically respond to? He wept. He cried. He was tenderhearted. Verse 32, forgiving one another as God and Christ forgave you. Not only was Joseph forgiving, not only did he recognize God’s providential hand in his life, what is Paul saying that we need to forgive on the basis of? Perspective. What perspective? We forgive others as what? As God has forgiven me. There’s two types of bitterness we have to address before we move into the application.

4. Beating Bitterness Before It Happens: Perspective

We’re going to discuss beating bitterness before it happens, while it’s happening, while the situation is arising, and then after, how do we recover? How do we cast it away from ourselves? How do we move it away, as Paul says in verse 31 of Ephesians chapter 4? Two types of bitterness. First one is caused when sin is against us. That’s what Joseph faced, is it not? It’s not throwing somebody into a pit, threatening to murder them and then selling them into slavery. I think we can all agree that’s sinful behavior. But then there’s the other type of bitterness, which is when somebody just does something I don’t like. And if I’m honest, I think if we’re honest this morning, isn’t it the things that we just don’t like that tend to make us a little bit more bitter than when someone directly sins against me?

If we really keep an honest tally and we don’t do that because that’s not loving, that’s not kind, that’s not tenderhearted, I think we would see that the scoreboard shows more people do things I don’t like than actually sin against me. So from the onset, we need to have the proper perspective that if I’m going to consider bitterness, I have to first of all let things go. But even if it is sinful, we need to take perspective like Joseph did. Even if it is something that is terrible, awful, unfathomable, we need to have perspective. What perspective? Well, first of all, that there could be worse. If I’m going to be that upset over what I said before, laundry on the floor, trash not being taken out, somebody saying something kind of mean to me, someone talking in a way I don’t like, acting in a way that’s not my favorite.

I need to remember first and foremost, what is a problem. Well, relative to the way somebody talks to me, being thrown in a pit is far worse. And how about even more than that? How about Jesus dying on the cross for our sins? And when does Romans chapter 5 say that Jesus died on the cross? Romans chapter 5 and verse 8 says God demonstrates his own love towards us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Also, verse 6 and 10 talk about us being hostile to his causes, enemies of God. That’s when Jesus died for us. So I need to take perspective first of all that what I’m facing probably isn’t that big of a deal. And even if it is, people have faced far worse.

But there’s another bit of perspective we have to take. Well, you look in James chapter 4. In James chapter 4, we learned something about life that is critical. James chapter 4, if we would adopt James chapter 4, verse 13 through 17, this mindset of life, what it is, what it’s therefore? This would be life changing. Not just with bitterness, but with our service to God, our commitment to Him, our commitment to love, kindness, mercy, forgiveness, it would all change. In James chapter 4 and verse 13, come now, you who say, today or tomorrow, we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit. Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life?

For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that. As it is, you boast in your arrogance, all such boasting is evil. So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him, it is sin. What do we learn about life from verse 15? Life is a vapor. How are we supposed to live in response to that from verse 14? In verse 15, we’re taught we need to think as the Lord wills. Does that mean that we have to couch every single thing we say with if the Lord wills? It’s a mindset. It’s not a magic phrase, it’s a mindset. In verse 14, how is life described?

Not only is it a vapor, but it appears for a little time and then what? Vanishes. The first and most obvious way to understand and react to bitterness is to realize that we as Christians have to have the biggest amount of patience that anyone does. Because we want that patience from God. If we pray every day as we should, if we pray multiple times a day as we should, how many times a day do you think a Christian will pray to God asking for grace, mercy, and forgiveness? A lot. Because we require a lot of grace, mercy, and forgiveness. If we want that from God, and if we’re going to continually be asking God for that forgiveness, as Ephesians 4 32 says, shouldn’t we also be forgiving one another?

And the reason we talk about forgiveness so much is bitterness is the opposite of forgiveness. When you think about bitterness, we have to understand what bitterness is and what it does. Bitterness if somebody does something to me I don’t like or I don’t feel like I deserve, or perhaps even sins against me, and I don’t just react to the sin, I let it go down within me, and what does it do when it’s inside? It poisons your mind, it poisons your soul. You want to ruin a good day? Not even focus on worshiping God, not even just something that we directly correlate like Bible reading or praying. How about just in everyday life? You want to ruin a day, be bitter about something. Let something eat at you that happened 10, 15 years ago.

The foolishness of this is so obvious when we think about what I already mentioned from the onset. The world has so much evil going on, and we think that’s terrible, and then we change the channel. And then somebody does something to me I don’t like, says a couple words, and I remember that for 15 years. Maybe Deedra wouldn’t remember it as well, but Ken would. If you weren’t here at 9 o’clock, you need to watch that. That was funny. As you think about recovering, though, as you think about our memories, what do we tend to remember? Usually one of two classifications. Something that was really fun, really great, a special time. But what else do we remember? Hurt, pain, anger, outburst of wrath. Well, it’s obvious, as verse 31 of Ephesians 4 says, we should put those away from us.

How much of this would be solved if we recognize life is fleeting? If we recognize I need for forgiveness from God. The perspective we have to take every day is I need to offer grace because I have been offered grace. When you look at Matthew chapter 18, when Peter asks Jesus, how many times should I forgive? And he says, up to 70 times, 70 times or 77 times. We think that’s crazy. Imagine someone coming to you every single day and Jesus forgives. Until we remember that we do that with God. If hindsight is 2020, if we recognize that life is here and it appears for just a little while and then it vanishes. How much does that one conversation matter? How much does that one chore being undone matter?

Is it worth family strife? Is it worth relationship turmoil? Is it worth my own frustration? Because the key about bitterness, and one final perspective on it, is who does bitterness apply to? Me. When I feel bitter, the person who did it to me might not even know. But I suffer because I’m holding on to it. And not only will it ruin my day and my relationships, it will ruin my standing before God. I answer for my bitterness. Joseph, if he had acted bitterly, would have answered for his bitterness, not his brothers. Would his brothers have answered for their transgressions? Yes. But if Joseph was bitter, who would answer for the bitterness? Joseph would. We’ll discuss that a little bit more in a moment. But consider it secondly, how are we going to beat bitterness?

5. In the Middle of Problems, Handle It With Wisdom

Before we have to have perspective that every day we’re going to offer grace and mercy, and that life is short and we can’t get caught up in the little things. But in the middle of these problems, when someone sins against me, or when somebody handles me in a way I don’t prefer, we have to handle this with wisdom. Look at Hebrews chapter 12. Look at Hebrews chapter 12 with me in verse 14 and 15. Hebrews chapter 12 has a strong warning about bitterness and what it does and why we should remove it. Hebrews chapter 12, begin in verse 12 with me. Therefore, lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees and make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.

Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God, that no root of bitterness springs up and causes trouble, and by it many defiled. That no one is sexually immoral or unholy like Esau, who sold his birthright for a single meal. For you know that afterward, when he desired to inherit the blessing, he was rejected, for he found no chance to repent, though he sought it with tears. What did Esau learn? That when we have a moment, we have one chance. When Esau sold his birthright, there was no going back. Can we be forgiven of God if we repent of our sins? Absolutely. But we have to make every moment count.

In verse 13, how are we to live with everyone? Verse 13 and 14, strive for peace with everyone. In verse 15, don’t let what? The root of bitterness spring forth from you. That’s what bitterness does. It takes root. How do we handle that then? When it’s taking root, how do we stop it? Well, from the onset, we would eliminate a lot of it if we take perspective. But when it’s happening, how do we handle sin? The good news is we don’t have to make this up. Jesus has told us. Look back at Matthew chapter 18. Look at verse 15. Matthew chapter 18 and verse 15. How is it that bitterness takes root? How is it that bitterness over time springs forth? Because we let it take time within us.

We kind of water it every day, don’t we? The unwise way to handle bitterness is first of all to allow it within you. And then how do we handle when we’re upset by something? When bitterness takes root, how does it grow? We think about it, we dwell on it. We replay the scenario to where we’re the hero and they’re the victim, or we’re the victim and they’re the hero, they’re the enemy. Can’t everyone be heroes. But when you think about Matthew chapter 18, and you look at verse 15, if this is a sin against you, not something that’s in the classification of let it go, but when someone has sinned against you, what is the right way to handle it? Matthew chapter 18 and verse 15, Jesus says, If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone.

Why? If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. When someone sins against me, it is not right to sit back and think mean things. What does the Christian do when they’ve been sinned against? Go and meet the person. Now the truth is, when I have sinned, what am I to do? I am to go and ask for forgiveness. Acknowledge my sin before someone and make it right. So how does that work? Christians will meet in the middle. Because the one who’s been sinned against will go. For what purpose in verse 15? To gain our brother. You see, that’s the problem with bitterness. We lose sight of what matters. What is Jesus always preoccupied with in verse 16 and in verse 17? If one doesn’t work, who do you go with two or three witnesses?

If that doesn’t work, where do you go in verse 17? Tell it to the whole church. Why? Because Jesus is interested in our souls. We have to be interested in souls. Not only ours, but those who are around us. And that’s where 2 Timothy 2 comes in. Look at 2 Timothy chapter 2. When someone has wronged me, and I have a chance to lash out, or I’m sitting in my private thoughts. Let’s practice the wisdom of 2 Timothy chapter 2. In 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 22, flee youthful passions. Pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Can we acknowledge that someone who’s always embattled with bitterness probably doesn’t have a pure heart? Verse 23, have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies.

You know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome, but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil. There’s Joseph again. How did he handle evil? Yes, we saw a time gap between chapter 37 and 45, and certainly 50. But are we one who allows bitterness to corrupt us? Or are we, as the verse says, patiently enduring evil? Verse 25, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil after being captured by him to do his will. I think the temptation when we hear a lesson on bitterness, and I study bitterness, is to say, yeah, but you just don’t know, or to say, Whew, I know somebody who needs this lesson.

The truth is, I need this lesson. We all need it. And what we all need is God. What we all need is the gospel. Our souls are at stake with bitterness. Why are we to deal with such kindness and love with others? Why are we to patiently endure evil? The answer, like in Matthew chapter 18, is the same in 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 25. Look at it again. God may perhaps grant them repentance, leading to a knowledge of the truth. What is God interested in? Our souls. And when we allow bitterness to corrupt us, we not only corrupt our own souls, but when we view others that way, we have lost sight of what is important. That is our souls and being with our God.

6. Afterwards: Practice Loving Like God and Pray

We have to have the right perspective. And when it’s tough, we have to sit back and we have to recognize how is God’s servant to be handling a tough situation? With kindness. Patiently enduring evil, able to teach. How many times in just a few verses have we looked this morning? Have you seen peace and kindness mentioned over and again? It’s very clear that kindness and love are the very antithesis of how bitterness pulls us apart. We have to be patiently working with others. Patiently grooming ourselves to be with our God, to be holy as He is holy, righteous as He is righteous, perfect as our Heavenly Father, is perfect. Consider afterwards. If we’re going to beat bitterness, we have to take perspective before. We have to handle the situation with wisdom, grace, and kindness.

But if we’re going to have a success against bitterness, we have to practice loving like God. And we have to pray. I’m going to talk about prayer and how to overcome and what to pray for and overcoming bitterness and how to defeat bitterness. But can I make a strong point first of all? And if you take one point from the lesson, please take this one. If we are struggling with bitterness, we need to pray to God not just to remove bitterness, but to forgive us for our sin. If I’m letting bitterness corrupt me, I have to pray to God, not so the other person gets better, not so that I can overcome it, although that’s good. I have to pray because I need to be forgiven, because bitterness is a sin which has no part in the Christian behavior.

So when we think about bitterness, we need to stop putting it off as something that we can do later, whether we can adjust to. Ephesians chapter 4 and verse 31 says, Do what with bitterness? Cast it away. Be kind, tender hearted, forgiving one another, as God and Christ forgave you. But how is it that we will pray? How will we practice loving God like God? I think both of those intersect in Matthew chapter 6. Look there with me. In Matthew chapter 6, certainly Jesus gives what we so often term the model prayer. In verse 9, note how Jesus not only prays and focuses, but note how he concludes either part of his prayer or an addendum to those who are with him. In verse 9, pray then like this Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.

Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts. As we also have forgiven our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Bitterness isn’t just something that ruins this life. Bitterness ruins my soul. We have to cast it away. What compromises the soul of a Christian? Ephesians chapter 4. And verse 31 and 32 give us the answer of both what is and is not there. In verse 31, here’s what is not. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and sander be put away from you along with all malice.

Conclusion

But when you look back at verse 32, what is the heart like? What’s in the heart of a follower of Christ? The very things that were in Jesus Himself. Verse 32, be kind to one another. Tender hearted, having love and compassion for those who are around us. Forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. When I consider a struggle with bitterness, the easiest way to get over it is to recognize before it starts that I need to have perspective. That if it’s not sin, I need to let it go. And if it is sin, I need to go address it. When it happens, I have to practice wisdom. And wisdom is best personified by acting like the God who embodies wisdom, who is wisdom, who gives wisdom.

That means acting with kindness, mercy, grace, and forgiveness. Can we imagine for just one moment if God held a grudge like we do? Imagine if this moment was your last. And you went before our creator, our maker, our judge. And he said, Yeah, you’ve been doing good. But I remember what you did 15 years ago. I’ll never let that go. If we want forgiveness from God, not only do the scriptures make it clear, it is obvious that we have to be forgiving people ourselves because our life is to be modeled after our God. And so when we handle these situations when they’re happening, we have to handle them patiently, as 2 Timothy 2 says. We can’t allow bitterness to take root and spring forth, as Hebrews chapter 12 says.

And after it’s happened, not only do we have to move on and let it go, not only do we have to address it if it is a matter of sin, but we need to pray. And we need to sit down and recognize this is not an attitude of God. This is an attitude of a Gentile whose foolish heart was darkened. Let’s not be feudal in our thinking. But let’s be wise, trusting in our great God. It’s hard to get over bitterness. It’s even harder to let bitterness completely go. But we need to start by trusting in our God, whom we want to let go of all of our sins. Think about our God today. And as we consider what bitterness I have within me, I need to recognize I have to push away all the bad and start to embody the good, the perfect that Jesus first lived and offers to us.

It may be this morning that you’re here and struggling with bitterness or struggling with all manner of sin. And while God is willing to offer forgiveness, kindness, grace, and mercy. It is for those who love Him, who submit to His commands and submit to His law. If you have never done so, recognize that our God is waiting, like the prodigal son’s father in Luke 15. He’s waiting, hoping, desiring that all men be saved. You can have that relationship with Him today if you obey Him. If you believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Confess Him as Lord in your life. Repent of your wrongdoing, put away wrath, anger, bitterness. Turn towards righteousness. You can be baptized in the blood of Christ.

You can be one with our God. What a glory, what a glory it is to worship God. What a powerful blessing it is to be said to be a child of His. Maybe you’re a Christian who struggles with bitterness or other matters of the heart. Recognize we are a team. We can pray with you. We can pray for you. Take perspective this morning of your life when you’re standing before God. If we can help you in any way, come forward now as we stand and sing the invitation song.