December 20, 2011
There are many times in life when we could become bitter.
Bitterness comes from failures, betrayals, loss of loved ones, illness that debilitates us or a loss of hope and faith. There are a number of passages in scripture that warn about bitterness. It can creep into our thoughts and words. Bitterness is also something that grows as it feeds on anything negative. Some are bitter that life may be cut short for them. Some are bitter because they believe they have not received fair chances in life.
There is a remedy for robbing an event of its bitterness—to remove it entirely or diminish it greatly in our lives. The remedy was reflected in the words of our Savior as He was about to die. He had been betrayed by a friend, cruelly mistreated and unfairly tried and then sentenced to death. Among His final words were two acts of love that robbed His experience of all bitterness. He said, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they do" (Matthew 23:34). He also said, "Woman behold your son" and to John He said, "Behold your mother" (John 19:26-27). Expressing love to His last word robbed His cruel betrayal and death of the bitterness they were poised to inflict. Love does overcome bitterness.
