The book of Hebrews warns us about allowing bitterness to take root: “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 become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15).
Forgiveness and Boundaries
The key to fighting bitterness is forgiveness. When you forgive, you let the other person off the hook for their wrongs. You can hand your hurt over to God, who will handle it with perfect justice. Then you can step into freedom instead of being held in the bondage of bitterness.
Ephesians 4:31 tells us: “Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice.”
" "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice." "Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord."
Bitterness is also a sin that can destroy life. Romans 12:19 commands us not to seek revenge, but instead to let God avenge. The key elements of bitterness are unresolved anger, the inability to grieve, and a lack of control: 1.
Bitter people feel that they have been hurt, misused and abused. The hurt may have been intentional, unintentional, imagined. When a bitter person is hurt, and he or she doesn't deal with the problem, it is internalized. He begins to dwell on it; she begins to mull it over and over, and over again.
The Bible says, “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you…
Bitterness causes a person to live in darkness (1 John 2:9-11). You'll recall that it was bitterness that grew in Joseph's brothers' hearts that turned into hatred and murder (Genesis 37). Bitterness even enveloped Cain to the point of murder (Genesis 4:3-8).
Bitterness not only causes symptoms of trauma like sleeplessness, fatigue, and lack of libido. It can also in the long-term lead to low self-confidence, negative personality shifts, and an inability to have a healthy relationship.
Prior to Paul's writing in Ephesians 4:32, he had also written in the verse before it to “let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.” Paul was giving us his advice to stay away from bitterness before it gets a hold on our personality.
One of the most well-known stories of bitterness in the Bible is the archetypal tale of Cain and Abel. Cain becomes consumed by bitterness for his brother and God when he feels unjustly treated relative to his prosperous brother Abel.
Proverbs 14:10 says, “Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.” 2. Proverbs 17:25 says, “A foolish son brings grief to his father and bitterness to the mother who bore him.” The devastation of war can readily activate bitterness.
Resentment (also called ranklement or bitterness) is a complex, multilayered emotion that has been described as a mixture of disappointment, disgust and anger. Other psychologists consider it a mood or as a secondary emotion (including cognitive elements) that can be elicited in the face of insult and/or injury.
Why is bitterness so damaging? Stress hormones. The negative emotions attached to bitterness can influence stress responses and release the hormone cortisol. Chronically high levels of this hormone can affect the immune system and increase the odds of disease.
Encourage them to explain why they feel angry, don't interrupt them while they speak, and keep on asking questions until they have fully explained themselves. Try to see things from their perspective as they express their feelings. Use active listening , so that you really listen to what they say.
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 ...
5 In TCM, the liver is associated with anger, depression, and the below physical symptoms: Emotions: Anger, resentment, frustration, irritability, bitterness, and "flying off the handle"
The cause of anxiety, depression, and other illnesses may be unresolved bitterness. Sadly, the person who is bitter and resentful is also repelling people at a time when they may need them most. Bitterness may cause isolation.
Key points. Feeling bitter is typically a consequence of accumulated anger and sadness as a result of past experiences. Work and personal relationships are often impacted when a person has become bitter. Adopting a new approach to life—taking action—can reduce bitterness and increase one's hope for the future.
a feeling of anger and unhappiness: He was full of bitterness after he lost his job.
Bitterness and resentment relate to anger. When we let anger at others or frustration at our situation fester and build up in our hearts, we can begin to develop bitterness and resentment. Often bitterness takes root when we are hurt by others or we think a situation we are put in is unjust or unfair.
In Jeremiah 20:9, he described his bitterness as fire in his bones. In Lamentations 3:4, Jeremiah described his bones as being broken due to his bitterness. As there are physical and mental causes, there are also spiritual causes. Psalm 32:3 indicates that unconfessed sins make the bones old and rotten.