A google search for "how many people are bitter" produced a return of 187,000,000 links in .55 seconds. Bitterness is a significant problem. As believers, we want to get victory over this sin. In his Treasures from Job, vol. 1, Rod Mattoon writes the following. I hope it helps you help yourself and others that you love and work with.

Another trait that can bring you to a point where you will loathe your life is bitterness. Job struggled with this and said he would continually speak in the bitterness of his soul. Folks, it is very difficult to be happy or enjoy your life when you are bitter at someone, especially God. In fact, bitterness will hinder your ability to love people or the Lord. This is why many Christians are out of church, are not growing spiritually, and are not close to the Lord. This is why James referred to bitterness as devilish.

* James 3:14–15.… But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. [15] This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.

* 1 John 4:20—If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

 When you are bitter, you become unreasonable, unacceptable, unbearable, unbelievable, uncomfortable, uncontrollable, unexplainable, and unlovable. Your bitterness will create barriers between you and other people, sometimes to the point where problems cannot be resolved and relationships are ruined because of hateful things that are done or said. These conflicts with others make life miserable for you and those around you. Paul shouts to us to get rid of our bitterness.

* Ephesians 4:31—Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:

If you are bitter with your spouse, it can destroy your marriage, making you loathe your life even more. For this reason, Paul warned husbands about bitterness toward their wives.

* Colossians 3:19—Husbands, love your wives, and be not bitter against them.

Bitterness can make you loathe your life because it closes your mind, making it difficult for you to be comforted by others. It will also cause you to reject solutions to problems or conflicts that are confronting you. This will only make matters worse for you. Problems are not solved because you are not open to the truth or good counsel.

Bitterness also causes a person to hate their own life because it poisons the inner being or soul of a person. It causes the person to focus their anger or hatred toward another, looking for any kind of fault they can find. These feelings consume the bitter person to the point where all they think about is their anger toward another person.

The anger and bitterness eventually leave the bitter person emotionally drained, depressed, and disgusted with life. This not only happened to Job, it also happened to Jonah who was consumed with bitterness toward the Assyrians.

 Beloved, when bitterness boils in your heart, when anger smoulders like burning coals in a campfire, it will usually surface down the road in explosive behavior such as rage, revolt, or rebellion. It seems like out of the clear blue, a bitter person goes ballistic or does something absolutely out of character. It causes people to lash out at others and in so doing they hurt people deeply with their words or actions. Hurting others is not going to make you happy.

 Bitterness also creates a spirit of revenge which drains a person of happiness or joy because these emotions are replaced with hate. Many Christians are like the woman who had been bitten by a dog and was advised by her physician to write her last wishes, as she might succumb to hydrophobia. She spent so long with pencil and paper that the doctor finally remarked something about how long the will would be. “Will!” she snorted. “I’m writing a list of the people I’m going to bite!”

 Folks, bitterness is poisonous. It poisons you and it creates a disgust for your own life.

* Hebrews 12:15—Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

Some may ask, “What can I do if I struggle with bitterness in my life?” There are several principles you can implement. First of all, you can follow Joseph’s example by seeing that the Lord works through the actions of people that have offended or hurt you. When Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, they were terrified because Joseph had the power to put them to death. He told them to not be afraid for their harsh treatment against him. God used what they did to him for good, in order to save the lives of many people (Genesis 50:20).

 Something else you can do is to learn to be thankful for the offenses or the trials that are creating your bitterness. Paul learned to do this and it helped him to conquer bitterness. He said, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you” (1 Thessalonians 5:18).

If you are having a difficult time dealing with bitterness, ask God to give you grace to conquer your feelings of anger. Paul stated that it was God’s grace working in his life that made him the man he was and changed him (1 Corinthians 15:10). It is God’s grace that enables a man to give his enemy food if he is hungry or water if he is thirsty (Romans 12:20).

If your bitterness is created by someone who has been mean to you, then you can keep that anger in check by actually forgiving that person and praying for them. Jesus said, “And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses” (Mark 11:25) Paul said, “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not” (Romans 12:14).

See also

Bitterness

Consequences of Bitterness