You don’t have to go far to run into someone who is angry. Have you ever had a driver behind you throw their hands up because you let someone pull out in front of you? Or because you aren’t going 85 in a 30? Or because you didn’t zoom through a yellow light? Some people seem to be aggravated no matter how good things are going for them. Others are angry because they’re dealing with difficult situations—whether by their own doing or someone else’s.
What we want is to be extra careful that we don’t become bitter. Maybe your life is so fast-paced that the stress of “keeping up” has allowed cracks so bitterness can seep into your attitude. Perhaps your life isn’t going the way you think it should be, and you’re a little miffed about that. Or maybe you’re dealing with a hardship you had no part in creating, but you’re harboring bitterness in your heart because of it. Yet regardless of the reason, the Bible tells us we aren’t to be bitter.
How do we know we aren’t to be bitter? Simon’s story is one place we learn this. Acts chapter 8 tells of a man named Simon who practiced sorcery and “boasted that he was someone great, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention” and “followed him” (vv. 10-11). But then he heard the good news of the kingdom of God, and Simon was baptized. Later, in verses 18-19, Simon declares his wants to receive the Holy Spirit and offers the apostles money, but Peter rebukes Simon (vv. 20-23) saying his “heart is not right before God,” that he must repent, and he is “full of bitterness.”
Until Peter pointed it out, Simon may not have even realized he was bitter. Simon was confident (v. 10), famous (vv. 10-11), and, as we can infer from verse 18, wealthy. Interesting. Since Simon had received the approval of others, he might not have had a reason to think he was bitter. He was famous, wealthy, confident, and proud. But in his heart, he was bitter. He wanted more, and perhaps this desire for more made him bitter. Then on the outside, Simon’s—dare we say—arrogance was likely a symptom of his bitterness.
I often feel like in today’s times that we’re almost encouraged to be bitter. It’s practically considered acceptable to be hateful or short with someone. But based on Simon’s story, bitterness can fly under the radar. It’s comparable to taking a big bite out of an ice cream cone only to shockingly discover it tastes like you just chomped into a lemon. Like Simon, it’s possible to look great and be a very likable person but still be bitter. That’s scarier than being able to see someone’s bitterness. It seems then that bitterness can have many symptoms: pride, greed, arrogance, selfishness, lack of empathy or compassion, anger, and so forth.
That means we must recognize if we’re bitter and figure out where that bitterness is coming from. We can’t root it out if we’re in denial in the first place. To truly be able to purge ourselves of bitterness, we must look at the root issue causing it. Our tendency is to hold fast to the bitterness we harbor rather than releasing our grasp on it. But it’s is not possible to passively let go of bitterness, so we must intentionally identify it and release it. Then in doing so, we alleviate the symptoms.
Make a mental note this week to check yourself. Check your reactions, tone, words, and demeanor. Then, check your heart. Do you show symptoms of bitterness? Symptoms you didn’t even know could be linked to bitterness? While you may not can control some things, you can control your reaction and attitude toward them.
*This blog comes from notes for a small group discussion guide from a sermon on the topic of bitterness I recently helped write. For more on this sermon series, visit www.wellspringchristianchurch.org.