Murder in the Making (Day 2)
The First Step
"Bitterness is a feeling of resentment that settles down in your heart when you feel someone has done you wrong."
Ephesians 4:31 (ESV)
"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice."
Devotional Thought
It always starts so small.
Someone cuts in line ahead of you. Your boss takes credit for your idea. A friend doesn't invite you to their party. Your spouse makes that comment again. Your kid rolls their eyes and walks away.
In that moment, something happens. A seed gets planted. You feel overlooked, disrespected, hurt. That feeling settles in your chest and makes itself at home. Paul calls it bitterness, and it's Step 1 on the road we talked about yesterday. Here's what's tricky about bitterness—it feels justified. Someone really did hurt you. They really were wrong. You have every right to feel upset. And that's exactly why bitterness is so dangerous. It hides behind legitimate hurt.
But notice what Paul says in Ephesians 4:31: "Let ALL bitterness...be put away from you." Not just the unreasonable bitterness. Not just the big hurts. ALL of it.
Why? Because Paul understood what Jesus taught—that murder starts in the heart. And bitterness is where it begins. That small seed of resentment you're carrying around? It's not staying small. It's growing.
Think about the last time someone really hurt you. Remember how it felt in that first moment? Now think about how it feels when their name comes up today. Has it gotten smaller over time, or bigger? Has it gotten easier to forgive, or harder?
Bitterness doesn't just sit there quietly. It grows. It spreads. It changes how you see that person, how you talk about them, how you treat them. Before you know it, what started as a small hurt has become something much darker.
The good news? This is still Step 1. We can deal with it here, before it becomes something worse.
Someone cuts in line ahead of you. Your boss takes credit for your idea. A friend doesn't invite you to their party. Your spouse makes that comment again. Your kid rolls their eyes and walks away.
In that moment, something happens. A seed gets planted. You feel overlooked, disrespected, hurt. That feeling settles in your chest and makes itself at home. Paul calls it bitterness, and it's Step 1 on the road we talked about yesterday. Here's what's tricky about bitterness—it feels justified. Someone really did hurt you. They really were wrong. You have every right to feel upset. And that's exactly why bitterness is so dangerous. It hides behind legitimate hurt.
But notice what Paul says in Ephesians 4:31: "Let ALL bitterness...be put away from you." Not just the unreasonable bitterness. Not just the big hurts. ALL of it.
Why? Because Paul understood what Jesus taught—that murder starts in the heart. And bitterness is where it begins. That small seed of resentment you're carrying around? It's not staying small. It's growing.
Think about the last time someone really hurt you. Remember how it felt in that first moment? Now think about how it feels when their name comes up today. Has it gotten smaller over time, or bigger? Has it gotten easier to forgive, or harder?
Bitterness doesn't just sit there quietly. It grows. It spreads. It changes how you see that person, how you talk about them, how you treat them. Before you know it, what started as a small hurt has become something much darker.
The good news? This is still Step 1. We can deal with it here, before it becomes something worse.
Application Questions
- Seed Inventory: What "seeds" of bitterness are you currently carrying? Think about the people who, when their name comes up, you feel that familiar knot in your stomach.
- Root System: How has holding onto past hurts changed the way you interact with certain people? Are there relationships where bitterness has already grown deeper roots?
- Fresh Wounds: Is there a recent hurt that you can address now, before bitterness has time to take hold and grow?
Today's Challenge
Identify one specific moment when someone hurt you recently—something you're still carrying around. Write it down.
Then ask yourself: "Am I letting this settle in and make a home in my heart?" If the answer is yes, take it to God in prayer today.
Then ask yourself: "Am I letting this settle in and make a home in my heart?" If the answer is yes, take it to God in prayer today.
Today's Prayer
Father, I don't want to be someone who collects hurts and lets them grow in my heart. Help me see the bitterness I'm carrying, even when it feels justified. Show me how to deal with these hurts before they become something bigger and more destructive. Give me the strength to let go of what I have every right to hold onto. Help me trust You with my pain. Amen.
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