Day 28

Bitterness says little about the object of our bitterness, but an awful lot about our own hearts.

‘See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.’ (Hebrews 12:15)

I remember traveling to Scotland once to speak at a conference for youth. A woman picked me up at the train station and the moment we were in her car she began criticizing everything – youth, the conference we were going to, the church, the government and the world!

It’s hard to be with someone who is so negative. After a while I plucked up courage to say, ‘You’ve said there’s a lot wrong with young people, the world and everything in it. There may be some truth to what you say, but can I ask you a question? Is there anything wrong with you?’ She was quite annoyed with me!

Of course there was something wrong. For this young woman, her very disposition was shouting it loudly. Everything looked wrong outside of her because something was wrong within her. Ourperspective on other people is usually a revelation of our own hearts. Bitterness within is a poison that permeates everything we see, touch and do. It sinks a deep root that can only be taken out by repentance, acknowledgement and by the grace of God. To be receptive to and enjoy the love of God is to become loving. To embrace bitterness is to become bitter.

What you allow into your life will also flow out of your life.