Greetings friend, welcome back, so glad to be here with you today! As we are talking about warring against our flesh, it’s a good time to stop and evaluate your battle plan. Over the years, I’ve adjusted my plan as needed based on whether I was walking by the Spirit or gratifying the lusts of my flesh. There’s no shame, only wisdom in making adjustments along the way; they will always be needed.
Question 1. According to the video, what subject is continually in the mind of God?
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As we begin our study about overcoming bitterness, let's take a moment to consider a beautiful illustration that God has given us in nature; it will help us understand God's way of purging our hearts of this poison. Think of all the different kinds of leaves—beautiful oak, maple, cypress, etc. Did you know that God didn't make leaves on trees and plants just for beauty? These tree leaves also perform an incredible function in the health of our environment.
God designed leaves to drink in poison from the air. It's true. Leaves consume gases that are poisonous to us: Carbon dioxide, Acidic Sulfur Dioxide, and various other harmful compounds. And what do you think leaves do with the poisons? Leaves transform the bitter poison into life-sustaining oxygen by the process of photosynthesis. They remove poisonous substances and leave oxygen for us. It is quite miraculous!
When I was in bondage to overeating and laziness, I was a bitter person. I had noxious compounds within my heart: anger, jealousy, and fear deep within me, which sometimes evidenced as angry outbursts where I would lash out at those around me, including those I loved.
Maybe you aren't given to angry outbursts, but if you think about it, you can fill in the blank with your struggle.
Question 2. What has your experience with bitterness been up to this point?
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Whatever our sin struggle, it is essential to understand that habitually overeating, binge eating, emotional eating, laziness, or ongoing sin of any kind fosters bitterness in our hearts. And once bitterness takes root in our heart, it pushes us to continue to live in sin. We can see this connection between bitterness and sin in Hebrews 12:15:
"See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many." Hebrews 12:15 (NIV)
Bitterness leads us to sin, and sin makes us bitter; it is a vicious cycle.
Question 3. According to Hebrews 12:15 NIV, what does bitterness do in our lives?