A Unhealed Wound

The root cause of bitterness is a unhealed wound. It’s like a poison concoction that stays in the blood. You must get rid of it before it’s too late.

A wound of bitterness usually begins like a infection that enters the body through a open wound. It may be small when it first happens, but left untreated it can have devastating effects.

A critical word, an injustice, a heated argument, a misunderstanding, a betrayal, or some type of abuse are opportunities that can lead to a unhealed wound. They can be caused by anyone around us, and some wounds we cannot control or even change. The wounds we experience are as numerous as grains of sand on a beach. Anyone can be wounded, whether they are real or imagined. Our imaginations sometimes get carried away.

I’ve learned over the years that it’s dangerous to assume we know the inward motivation of others. We can drive ourselves crazy wondering why someone did something.

When a wound is not dealt with properly disappointment soon follows. It’s the next pitstop on the road to bitterness. Disappointment can come when we feel that we have been let down, betrayed, or defeated. Those common feelings when we have been wounded. Next we begin to direct towards others what we are feeling consciously or unconsciously.

I know a person who blames God for a very negative experience she had with a church member. While there is no justifiable reason to be disappointed in God. Nevertheless, this can happen because we are sinful creatures who are prone to wander.

Anger is the next stop to bitterness. Anger is the result of allowing disappointment to fester in our wounded hearts. This untreated ailment begins to stir up passions and emotions. When we allow anger to brew, the effects are apparent. It can be seen in our attitude, negativity, sharp words, irritability, and our lack of peace and joy. The bottom line is that it always manifests itself in some way.

After anger then comes Unforgiveness. If that goes unchecked anger opens the door to it.

Here are a few ways to know if we harbor Unforgiveness:

• Does a person’s name cause your stomach to tighten up?
• When you think about a simple situation or conversation does your joy go away?
• Do you secretly wish for vindication or retribution?
• Do you long for the day when those who hurt you will experience that same hurt?

The Holy Bible tells us that we are to extend large amounts of grace and forgiveness, because God’s forgiveness is unlimited. Unforgiveness is all about the details, hurts, and wrongs we have experienced.

When we focus on the wrongs of others we are oblivious to our own sin. A bitter person may be in fact a victim of a horrible injustice. However, when we allow the injury of the wrong to remain a unheralded wound can be dangerous.

When we allow bitterness into a unhealed wound we can find it difficult to recognize because it distorts our perception and skews the way we look at things. And we don’t even recognize it, until the damage is done,

Allowing bitterness into our lives we are also allowing an unhealed wound to fester and build. And will in turn purge you into unhappiness. It will erode your optimism, shatter your joy, and kill your ability to love others.

A person that is bitter goes through life with a heart that does not fully function. They live In Spiritual poverty while everyone around them drown.

“Bitterness is a work of our flesh that the devil loves to exploit.”