Weeds Need to be Plucked

Hebrews 12:15 - Work at getting along with each other and with God. Otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time. (The Message)

I hate to admit that I’ve been harboring some resentment and bitterness in my spirit for a while. It’s kind of strange sometimes how God’s conviction works. I’ve been holding on to this weed for a long time, but I’ve only felt His conviction recently. I knew it was there, but I kept walking past it thinking, “I’ll deal with it later.” I heard a message from David Jeremiah recently that spoke on this subject, and he said that sometimes we become so used to our anger and bitterness that it comforts us. Once God brought it to my attention and forced me to deal with it, I knew I needed to let it go, but that has not been so easy.

I kept chewing on it, over and over making excuses for not letting it go. Saying, “Well God they haven’t ever apologized,” or “Why do I have to let it go when they keep doing it over and over?” Like everyone else that lets bitterness sprout in their lives, I was trying to use my unforgiveness to punish them. Knowing full well I wasn’t affecting them in any way. This weed that has taken root in my spirit is only affecting me and my relationship with God.

The bible study I am going through talked about changing our response to events that happen in our life so we can experience a different outcome. This led me to a study on how I can be victorious over the sin in my life or change my response. One of the ways I have been taught I can become victorious is to find scripture that deals particularly with that sin and meditate on it (hide it in my heart).

One scripture I found dealing with this issue was 1 Peter 4:8, “Most important of all, continue to show deep love for each other, for love covers a multitude of sins.” The love that we pour out on others can cover up or help us let go of our bitterness. Even if we don’t feel very loving at first, just the act of loving kindness can move us to let go and forgive. This was also a thought shared by David Jeremiah in his sermon on anger. If you don’t watch his sermons on YouTube, you should!

I have witnessed what unplucked bitterness can do to a person. I have seen the hatefulness that destroys them and makes them unable to love anyone, including themselves. I do not want to become that type of person. I do not want to be comforted by my bitterness. I want to be free of it so I can get a glimpse of God and so that nothing hinders me from experiencing His love. This will be a process for me, but I am determined to surrender to God to win the victory over the ugly weed of this soul crushing sin. Through His loving mercy and grace, I will soon be able to pluck that thing and toss it in the fire where it belongs.