Breaking Free From Bitterness

A truck driver is eating lunch in a truck stop when three bikers walked in.

The first biker says “You’re sitting in MY seat!” Then he walks up to the trucker, and puts his cigarette into the truck driver’s pie. The second biker walks up to the trucker, and spits on his plate. The third biker walks up to the trucker, and tips over his glass of soda.

Without saying a word, the truck driver gets up and leaves the diner.

A minute later, one of the bikers says to the waitress, "Humph, not much of a man, is he?"

The waitress replies, He’s not much of a truck driver either. He just backed his truck over three motorcycles!"

How many of you have heard the expression, “Don’t get mad. Get even?” That’s the way a lot of people handle anger. Your sister keeps taking stuff from your room without permission. So go in her room and take some of HER stuff! Give her a taste of her own medicine! Don’t get mad. Get Even!”

Or a driver comes up behind you on the freeway. He shines his brights in your eyes. Slow down. Let him pass. Then shine the brights in HIS eyes! Don’t get mad. Get even!

That’s one way to deal with bitterness. But God says there’s a better way. How do I know that? Because 1 Peter 3:9 says “Do not repay anyone evil for evil or insult for insult, but with blessing, because to this you were called, so that you may inherit a blessing.”

Today, I’ll show you how it works. First I’ll share some characteristics of bitter people. Then we’ll see what today’s Scripture reading says about breaking free from bitterness.

One characteristic of a bitter person is that they tend to be overly critical: “Why does that lady always give my friend a hug, but she never gives me a hug? Who does she think she is, thinking she’s all that!??”

Or “Why do the fans from Valders always have to harass the Hilbert players when they go to the line? I’m so fed up with the people of Valders that I’ll never so much as buy a cup of coffee in that town ever again!” Bitter people are overly critical.

A 2nd characteristic of a bitter person is that they secretly celebrate the misfortunes of others. I was driving down to Athens, Ohio a while back to see my parents. And a driver passes me doing at least 80 or 90 miles an hour. And then he cuts right in front of me so I have to hit the brakes. I honked my horn. I said “Boy, I hope that guy gets caught.”

Ten minutes later, I saw a cop giving him a ticket on the side of the road. I said “YEAHHHH!!! YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW, BABY!!! WOO HOOO!!! THANK YOU, JESUS!”

But looking back, that wasn’t good. Celebrating the misfortune of others is a sign of bitterness.

Another characteristic of a bitter person is that they tend to write off whole groups of people. Your boyfriend breaks up with you. You say “All men are jerks! You can’t trust them as far as you can throw them! I’ll never trust another man as long as I live!” I understand how you feel. I’ve been dumped by girls before! It’s no fun. But being bitter doesn’t make it better. Writing off the whole male species because of one bad apple is a sign of bitterness.

And so as we look at Ephesians chapter four, we need to ask ourselves “What is it that I might be bitter about?” It could be personal. Maybe you lent someone some money. They promised to pay you back. But it’s been almost a year and they haven’t paid you back. And now you’re bitter.