When you are offended or disappointed by others and allow the hurt to germinate in your heart, bitterness and resentment will take root. Characterized by an unforgiving spirit and generally negative, critical attitudes, bitterness and resentment are sinful and self-defeating. They will color your conscious and unconscious thoughts and actions. Allowed to fester, they will destroy and kill (Galatians 5:19-21
When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
). However, they can be dispelled with love.
What Scripture Says
"Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many" (Hebrews 12:14-15
Work at living in peace with everyone, and work at living a holy life, for those who are not holy will not see the Lord. Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
).
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you" (Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
).
"When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly" (1 Peter 2:23
He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
).
"Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing..." (Luke 23:34
The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. "He saved others," they said, "let him save himself if he is really God's Messiah, the Chosen One."
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
).
"For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins" (Matthew 6:14-15
If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
).
"Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' says the Lord. On the contrary: 'If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.' Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good" (Romans 12:14-21
Bless those who persecute you. Don't curse them; pray that God will bless them. Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with each other. Don't be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don't think you know it all! Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,"I will take revenge; I will pay them back,"* says the LORD. Instead,"If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink.In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads."* Don't let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
).
How to Be Free from Bitterness and Resentment
Like depression and other emotional stress, bitterness and resentment can aggravate or cause physical problems such as arthritis. You can be affected mentally, spiritually, and otherwise. Your relationships will always suffer.
God can free you from this sin. It is an oppressive and destructive emotion having its root in hate, which is likened to murder. You must repent. No one can have peace and happiness with such emotions tearing at him. If you have not done so, ask God to forgive you and to come into your life right now. He will deliver you from the power of the enemy (Psalms 91:3
For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
).
If you are already a Christian, you should still ask God to forgive you for being bitter and resentful. Then ask Him to forgive anyone who may have hurt you, and toward whom you are bitter or resentful, even as He forgives you.
Seek to be baptized with the Holy Spirit if you are not already. Look for opportunities to demonstrate love to the person who offended you.
God forgives and forgets sin. However, you may have made your best effort to forgive and forget and find that you cannot. God can help you to cleanse your memory. Instead of remembering with malice and hurt, remember with forgiveness. Then go one step further and ask God to forgive your offender. By forgiving and then asking God to forgive your offender, you release God to bless you and the other person.
As You Pray
Pray in this manner:
Father, I acknowledge that I've held resentment and bitterness against _______________. I confess this as sin and ask you to forgive me. I forgive __________________. Remind me, Lord, to not hold any more resentments, but rather to love this person. Father, I ask you to also forgive ______________________.
Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. In Jesus' name, Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, please let us know. You can call our National Prayer Center at (800) 823-6053. We would love to talk with you and send you some literature to help you continue in your walk with the Lord.
Scripture references are taken form the New American Standard translation of the Bible.
References/Homework
BITTERNESS Acts 8:23
for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin."
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Romans 3:14
"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."*
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Ephesians 4:31
Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Hebrews 12:15
Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
James 3:14
But if you are bitterly jealous and there is selfish ambition in your heart, don't cover up the truth with boasting and lying.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
ENVY Psalms 37:1
Don't worry about the wicked or envy those who do wrong.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Proverbs 3:31
Don't envy violent people or copy their ways.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Proverbs 23:17
Don't envy sinners, but always continue to fear the LORD.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Galatians 5:26
Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Genesis 26:14
He acquired so many flocks of sheep and goats, herds of cattle, and servants that the Philistines became jealous of him.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Matthew 27:18
(He knew very well that the religious leaders had arrested Jesus out of envy.)
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
HATRED Leviticus 19:17
"Do not nurse hatred in your heart for any of your relatives.* Confront people directly so you will not be held guilty for their sin.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Proverbs 10:12
Hatred stirs up quarrels, but love makes up for all offenses.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Proverbs 15:17
A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
:
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE ()
John 4:20
So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim,* where our ancestors worshiped?"
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
MALICE 1 Corinthians 5:8
So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread* of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread* of sincerity and truth.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
1 Corinthians 14:20
Dear brothers and sisters, don't be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Colossians 3:8
But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
1 Peter 2:1
So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Esther 3:6
He had learned of Mordecai's nationality, so he decided it was not enough to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Instead, he looked for a way to destroy all the Jews throughout the entire empire of Xerxes.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Psalms 140:3
Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips. Interlude
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Isaiah 59:4-5
No one cares about being fair and honest. The people's lawsuits are based on lies.They conceive evil deeds and then give birth to sin. They hatch deadly snakes and weave spiders' webs.Whoever falls into their webs will die, and there's danger even in getting near them.
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Matthew 27:23
"Why?" Pilate demanded. "What crime has he committed?" But the mob roared even louder, "Crucify him!"
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
John 12:10
Then the leading priests decided to kill Lazarus, too,
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Acts 7:54
The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen's accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage.*
OPEN VERSE IN BIBLE (nlt)
Share This article
Link was copied!
About The Author
The Christian
Broadcasting Network
The Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media communication. For over 60 years, CBN has proclaimed the Good News to 156 countries and territories, with programs and content translated into 76 languages making it one of the largest television ministries in the world. With its many subsidiary and affiliate organizations, CBN goes beyond the bounds of broadcasting to reach the world with a message of hope of Jesus Christ. Learn more about the impact CBN is making around the world at