One of the ways bitterness can be formed is through a prideful heart… A sort of “righteous” bitterness, if you will; a bitterness that says, “I’m better than you.” This kind of bitterness is dangerous, because you won’t see it as such. You’ll see it as a stance for Christianity – a stance for Jesus. What? I’m just standing my ground and not allowing anyone to break my belief system, you think. But you’re wrong. This type of bitterness will be the death of you, if you don’t squash it now.
If you believe you’re better than others, you’ll become like the Pharisees – the very people Jesus disagreed with the most. You’ll become like a religious zealot, never allowing your heart to become compassionate for those who do not live up to your idea of righteousness.
And here’s the kicker: it has nothing to do with YOUR idea of righteousness – or your idea of anything for that matter.
It has everything to do with JESUS’ idea of righteousness and JESUS’ idea of everything.
When we allow ourselves to become righteous zealots, we also allow ourselves to become gossipers and slanderers, and that’s exactly what the devil wants. The devil wants us to become bitter because he is also bitter with a righteous bitterness. He believes he’s better than all — even better than God. But deep down he knows Jesus is Lord and he knows that he doesn’t have much time until he gets sent to eternal hellfire. Which is why he loves seeing us have bitter hearts.
The devil seeks us who carry a righteous bitterness around with us so that he can continue to lie and manipulate us into believing we’re on the right side of the fight – that we’re holding onto the righteousness of God and upholding all that He is calling us to do and be. The devil feeds on our righteous bitterness because he knows it causes us to sin and what better place for a sinner than eternal hellfire with him (the devil, that is)?
“Each heart knows its own bitterness, and no one else can share its joy.”
When we’re filled with bitterness, no one around us gets to share our joy… Because we have no joy when we are bitter…
There is no joy in holding a righteous bitterness. There’s no joy in Jesus, no joy in upholding the law, no joy in our thoughts, actions and words. There is only judgement, disgust and dishonor of the God whom’s law we are trying to uphold.
However, if you are a righteous zealot, you must not know Jesus’ most important command. It was this:
“The most important one is this: Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.”
And His second:
“The second is this: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
And at least to my understanding, loving the Lord and loving our neighbours both have nothing to do with judging, gossiping, or slandering them on their accounts of sin or whatever else… But it has everything to do with praying over them, being compassionate in the knowledge of their slippery feet, and accepting that we are all human and nobody is perfect except Jesus Christ our Lord, whom we are called to love with all our heart, mind, soul and strength… And whom we are called to honour and glorify and preach HIS good news and HIS righteousness.
You are not righteous. By any means. Thus, you must let go of your righteous bitterness. Lay it at the Father’s feet and let yourself be washed by the blood of Jesus, so that you may be righteous in God’s eyes… And ONLY BECAUSE OF THE BLOOD OF JESUS – and by no other means.
Set yourself free today. Accept the gift of grace by God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ. Renew your mind with the wisdom and glory of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
“There is none righteous, no, not one.” – Romans 3:10
“Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” – Romans 3:14
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