Bittersweet Grace
I have a confession. Sometimes I just don’t feel like trying to have the attitude that God calls me to have. Sometimes I’ve had a frustrating day and I’m just plain irritable. Maybe even a little bit sassy. And in keeping with truthful confessions, it’s not a sweet sassy. While I can usually talk myself through it by reminding myself of what scripture says that should prompt a better attitude, sometimes I’m just not in the mood to change.
This is not a pretty thing to admit about myself. There is a time and a place for bitter, but it’s usually in a recipe or a beverage, and not one’s heart. Ephesians 4:31 paints a clear picture of what God says about bitterness:
“Let all bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander be removed from you, along with all malice.” (CSB)
Wow! Bitterness hangs out with some ugly company! Anger, wrath, slander, malice….those are all sorts of attitudes that Satan loves to see in us. He knows that when bitterness starts to take root, pride isn’t very far behind. And pride will harden our hearts.
Hebrews 12:15 takes it even deeper:
“Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.” (CSB)
At first, this verse confused me a little. I wondered, how can we fall short of grace, if grace is something that God gives us freely? After a little digging, I came to the understanding that the truth is, we don’t lose God’s grace, we lose our awareness of it. Meaning, we block our hearts from receiving what’s already ours! In other words, bitterness creates or builds a wall that prevents us from feeling and sharing God’s grace.
Bad days are inevitable, and along with them comes bad moods. We just need to be careful about what’s growing in our hearts. Philippians 4:8 offers us the perfect filter:
“In conclusion, my friends, fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable.” (GNT)
If what we’re dwelling on isn’t noble, lovely, or pure, odds are we need an attitude adjustment.
It’s not easy, but it’s worth working on because I know I don’t want to miss out on feeling God’s grace. I need it! We all do! By taking those thoughts and feelings captive, we take away any power that Satan uses to try to keep us stuck in resentment. Think of it like this, grace softens what bitterness hardens.
How many times do you see bitterness in someone you know, or even someone you just met? It’s not pretty. Curmudgeonly, irritable, and angry rarely is. You can almost sense a heaviness or a lack of joy. It’s sad - really sad- because I know I can look like that too.
We might not be having this conversation in person right now, but I have a feeling that you might be able to relate. There’s good news though. For each of us!
Jesus will never leave us there. Through His grace, He invites us to look to Him; to walk with Him on a path that leads us away from bitterness and toward freedom - one surrendered thought, one softened heart, and one small act of grace at time. Sometimes we just need to pause in the moment and ask for direction - or maybe a redirection.
So this week, if irritation or resentment starts to sneak in, pause and ask, ‘Is this growing grace or growing bitterness?’ I believe that God will use that moment to soften our hearts. He’s just good like that.