Some sins seem to get a free pass.  They, like all sin, are devastating to the soul, but they are rarely repented of and therefore hardly ever rectified.  One such sin is bitterness.

Hebrews 12:15 (ESV)
¹⁵  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;

When is the last time you heard of a person being disciplined by a church for bitterness?  This rarely happens, if ever.  Why?  Maybe because bitterness is an inward sin that cannot be seen.  While the fruits of bitterness are detectable (hatred, anger, malice, backbiting, division, envy, unhappiness, etc.), they are things that are also rarely addressed.  Still, bitterness, recognized or not, causes all kinds of trouble and defiles the soul.

The reason bitterness is so devastating to the soul is because not only do most people who see it in others say nothing about it, but also, the person who possesses it most often does not recognize it.  He may know that he is angry a lot, but he does not think it is a case of bitterness.  Instead, he blames someone else.  Someone else is always making him mad, or, perhaps, something happened years ago that he refuses to let go of, but he thinks it justifies his ongoing anger.  The point of it is this—we all recognize bitterness as a sin that can keep us out of heaven, but it is rare for a bitter person to admit to the bitterness.

There are a couple of things we can do to avoid being consumed by this sin.  First, we must constantly examine our hearts.  Since it is so rare for others to tell us that we are bitter, if we are, we are going to have to detect it ourselves and then do something about it.  This demands self-examination.

I should question myself about the fruits of bitterness and honestly determine whether I possess them or not.  Am I angry a lot?  Do I regularly talk about others negatively?  Do I find myself possessing malicious thoughts about others?  Am I a constant source of discord?  If I can answer yes to any of these questions, there is a good chance that I am harboring bitterness in my heart.  After admitting it, I should do my best to find the root of it and pull it up.

Speaking of roots, the second thing we can do to avoid becoming a captive to bitterness is to take care of it as soon as possible.  New roots are easy to pull.  They become worse as they grow and become settled in the soil.  At that point you might need a special tool like a hoe or shovel to get them out.  So it is with the heart.  If we examine ourselves regularly, we can detect the root of bitterness early, and easily get rid of it; however, once it gets established, our hearts become a stronghold for it.

Bitterness is a characteristic that makes us miserable, as well as everyone around us.  More importantly, it will keep us out of heaven.  It is impossible to bear the fruit of joy, which is a part of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22), and to be bitter at the same time.  Let’s all examine ourselves to make sure that the root of bitterness is not quietly growing within our hearts.

 As you wind down for the night, think about these things.