I know, I know Etouffee is not bitter, but it’s the only thing sitting in my photos right now, sorry!
“People cannot trust Christ if they are completely broken by Church leadership”
“Brokenness is a blessing and a curse at the same time. It hurts, it’s not our natural state, but it’s where the marvelous life giving light leaks out.”
The Beauty of Bitterness
Define bitter.
The church uses the word as both a crutch, and as a cudgel. The most disturbing is how it is used to dismiss, demean, belittle and deny genuine victims of abuse. All kinds of abuse.
It’s a catch all term that gets busted out every time any criticism happens on just about everything running contrary to whatever thing they hold dear.
It’s a way to shut down any independent thought. Don’t want to think seriously about something? Declare it rooted in “bitterness” and move on to something else.
“Friendly fire” happens and happens time again. It gets labeled “bitterness” if you dare raise a voice to complain about the injustice of it, or don’t accept your punishment with a smiling face.
If you expect or need change in your church, your spiritual life, or in other small ways there will always be someone who is going to call you “bitter”. Be prepared. It will happen. People are so threatened by any change, or a hint of change that they want to shut that down.
Those entrenched or enmeshed in the wrong abusive things, the self righteous are the very ones, the front pew sitters, the kiss the pastor’s ass people, the rigidly hard core unthinking who will be the first ones to hurtle the charge of bitterness.
Vain conceit when we think higher of ourselves and our ways, that of other people. It runs counter to everything taught by Jesus. To consider others, to love others, to have a servants heart in all situations.
Think about the needs of others.
Who do we think we are? Even King David danced before the Ark of the Covenant in his underwear. What right to we have to take ourselves so seriously when the Gospel calls for humility and love?
A broken and imperfect lantern throws both shade and light. Sometimes we need to rest in that shade, to recharge, to restore. We cannot live always in the light, there will always be those times when recovery, rest and restoration needs to happen. Never feel guilty about that.