Nip it in the bud

looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; - Hebrews 12v15

There are several brilliant warnings in this section of Hebrews. One stick out to me this time through though, I think it sticks out because of the fervency of the warning and the reality of personal experience in my life and in the lives of others that I have known.

‘Look carefully…lest any root of bitterness which is springing up cause you trouble and defiles many.’ I like the King James wording which has ‘looking diligently…’ The Message paraphrase of the scriptures uses the illustration of a garden when it renders the section ‘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 important thing to note is that bitterness needs to be nipped in the bud before it ever breaks the surface. Bitterness is a great enemy and a dangerous weed that if left alone will grow and fester like a cancer and ruin all with which it comes in contact.

Bitterness is an ugly and dangerous problem. It will ruin a life and it will ruin the lives of those around. What begins as anger or dislike quickly begins to fester and grow. I know what bitterness can do in my life, and I have seen far too many lives destroyed by it.

How do we do this? How do we nip bitterness in the bud? The answer is in the passage. We must look carefully. We must be diligent. We must watch like a careful gardener who knows the danger of weeds in his garden. It is an area where we cannot let down our guard.

Watch diligently – that little seed of bitterness that you see will cause great havoc if it is not dealt with.