ManageYourEmotionsBook8.5x5.5_RevJULY.indd

5 Get Better not Bitter

“See to it that . . . that no root of bitterness springing up causes trouble” (Hebrews 12:15).

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“Y ou just devoted a chapter to anger,” you might say, “why include bitterness - aren’t they the same?” That might seem the case at first, yet when you dig deeper, obvious differences surface. Simply stated, anger is a short-term reaction while bitterness is a long-term condition. “How can that be?” one questions, “I’ve been angry about an issue for ten years now.” That being the case I must tell you:Your anger has metastasized into bitterness. Generally speaking, anger connects to a present offense, while bitterness involves the past.Anger can pass quickly, as long as we control it and don’t let it control us. When you hang on to your hurts, bitterness sinks its fangs in deep and doesn’t let go. Left untreated, “Bitterness leads to resent- ment and holding a grudge, even possibly wanting revenge. Bit- terness is always there.You feel so hurt by something that was done to you in your past that you feel hurt all the time.” 29

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