OVERCOMING

WHAT IS

?
Bitterness is:
“an intense deep-seated feeling of resentment,
indignation, and ill-will against someone or
something which we feel has committed an
insult, injustice, or offenses against us”
“an emotional response which results from failing
to properly deal with feelings of personal outrage,
anger unforegiveness, and contempt.”
“It is a condition which can arise when we fail to
adequately resolve feelings of personal injury such as
being humiliated, offended, unfairly treated, slighted,
misunderstood, misused, misinterpreted, wronged in
some way, or having our rights violated or ignored.
How Common is
Bitterness?
 Effects of Bitterness:
- Bitterness adversely affects every area of our
mental, emotional, physical, social, and
spiritual well-being.
-Bitterness contaminates us with feelings of
hostility, animosity, resentment, antagonism,
hatred, suspicion, jealousy, and vindictiveness
. It can quench our joy and enthusiasm for life,
undermine our interest for the things of God,
harden our hearts, pervert our spiritual judgement,
distort our image of God, and ruin relationships.
 Effects of Bitterness:
-Bitterness generates irritability, frustration,
discontent, anger, apathy, stress, and feelings
of rejection and condemnation

It can cause nervous tension, insomnia,

physical and emotional fatigue, headaches,
high blood pressure, loss of appetite, and ulcers.
How Serious is Bitterness:
Hebrew 12: 15 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

Bitterness
Common Causes of Bitterness:
1. Unfulfilled Expectations
2. Unresolved Offenses
3. Unresolved Anger
4. A Failure to Forgive
5. A Failure to Yield our Rights
6. Fellowshipping Bitterness
Common Tendencies:

Blaming God

Blaming Others

Justify themselves
How should we respond?

1. Take immediate action!

 How should we respond?

2. We must sincerely repent

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to
forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all
unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).
 How should we respond?

3. We must be willing to forgive

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger…be put away from you, with all malice.
And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,
just as God in Christ also forgave you” (Eph. 4:31, 32).
 How should we respond?

4. We must reconcile with others

 How should we respond?

5. We must embrace a Godly perspective of life

“And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God,
to those who are the called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28).
 How should we respond?

6. We must appropriate God’s power

 How should we respond?

7. We must not fellowship bitterness

“Make no friendship with an angry man, and with a furious man do not go,
lest you learn his ways and set a share for your soul” (Prov. 22:24,25).
How should we respond?

“Keep your heart with all

diligence, for out of it spring the
issues of life” (Prov. 4:23)

Don’t allow:
offenses, misunderstanding, anger,
disappointments, sensitivities, trials,
delays, set-backs,
or any other factor to plant the destructive
seeds of bitterness in our hearts.
1. We must take immediate action

2. We must sincerely repent.

3. We must be willing to forgive

4. We must reconcile offenses

5. We must embrace a godly perspective of life

6. We must appropriate God’s power

7. We must not fellowship bitterness in others

8. We must exercise preventative maintenance.

Psalm 55:22
May God be Praised!