The road from anger to bitterness is not a difficult one.  The journey appears smooth and easily traveled, yet what awaits us around the bend is a cavernous pit.  A U-turn is necessary before we ever get to that end, yet some people never make that choice.

Bitterness is deadly.  It causes us to weep when others rejoice and rejoice when others weep.  It will rob us of our ability to recognize and reveal God, as it renders us powerless to love others.  The roots of bitterness squeeze life from our hearts, as this sin shows up as anger, pride, sarcasm and hostility.  Others recognize it in us, but few of us recognize it in ourselves.

At the root of bitterness are three lies about God:

1.  He does not understand my problem, so I feel isolated.                          2.  He has left me to deal with this alone, so I feel forsaken.                        3.  He cannot do anything to help me, so I feel hopeless.

These are lies from the enemy.  God will never leave nor forsake us (Acts 17:28).  He knows the plan He has for us (Ps. 139:13-14), and He can do anything (Luke 1:37).

This year, as a high school teacher, I have watched several students act out bitterness.  They share their stories, and I get it.  A father rapes his young daughter and then commits suicide when he is found out.  A stepdad molests his son, my student, and the son has to miss class to relive the incident in court.  Children are forced to move in with aunts or grandparents who let them know they are an obligation, not a blessing.  Yesterday, a male student showed me a video of a former student who chose to fight another teen “because that way I don’t cut myself.”

Those are the ones I can write about.  Others have shared secrets so dark, they want no one to know their stories.

I have to wonder if I wouldn’t be equally as tormented.  These teenagers “act out” their bitterness by failing their classes or becoming defensive with the least bit of constructive criticism.  Their mood swings are painful to watch.  I overhear them tell their friends about the teachers who hate them (basically, anyone who holds them accountable). The girls sleep around.  “Will anyone make me feel valued?” Not even lessons learned in their church youth group penetrate their wounded souls.

Bitter people often do not choose to move past this destructive behavior.  If this describes you, you need to know that it’s never what you can do; it’s what God can do through you.  If you find yourself on the road to bitterness, there are a few things He wants you to do:

1.  Admit it and confess it (1 John 1:9).

2.  Ask God to show you how bitterness damages you (Prov. 16:2).

3.  Stop rehearsing your bitterness with others (Mt. 15:11).

4.  Stay in harmony with godly people (Prov. 11:14).

5.  Read the Bible (Mt. 13:18-23).

6.  Look ahead, not behind (Phil. 3:13-14).

7.  Study winners who chose contentment over bitterness (Gen. 50:20).

8.  Remember, winning over bitterness takes time (Romans 8:25-30).

God offers the path that destroys the root of bitterness; if you choose not to accept it,  it will destroy you.