LOOKING BACK
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Jim Elliot was an American missionary and a Christian martyr who, along with four other missionaries, was killed while attempting to evangelize the Auca Indians (now known as the Waorani) in Ecuador in 1956.
On January 8, 1956, Jim Elliot, along with Nate Saint, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, and Roger Youderian, set out to make contact with the previously unreached Waorani tribe deep in the Ecuadorian rainforest. The Waorani were known to be a violent and isolated tribe, and previous attempts at contact had ended tragically.
The missionaries made initial friendly contact with some Waorani individuals, but the situation quickly turned dangerous. On January 8, 1956, they were attacked and killed by members of the Waorani tribe. This event came to be known as "Operation Auca," and the news of their deaths shocked the world.
There is probably a small number of Bible-believing Christians who have had experiences with the occult. If someone were to take such a survey in the average evangelical church, I suspect the percentage of people for whom the occult is a major problem would be small. At least, I hope it would.
I'm not downplaying by any means the tremendous power the occult can have in a person's life. But if Ouija boards and fortune-tellers have never been a problem for you, Satan probably won't tempt you heavily in that area. He's much too smart for that. He doesn't waste any of his "fiery darts."
His tactic may be like that of any strategic warrior. I remember a conversation I had with several Sioux Indians during my work among them. We were talking about those old Western movies where the Indians are firing huge volleys of arrows at the wagon trains. "Is that the way Sioux warriors did it?" I asked.
Their answer was fascinating. "Are you kidding? Have you ever made an arrow by hand? Every time a Sioux warrior let an arrow fly, he expected to hear an ouch. Every arrow counted."
That's a great picture of the way Satan works. He doesn't just fling his arrows of temptation around. He expects every arrow to hit the mark.
So if the occult world is foreign to you, I say great. Praise the Lord. It holds no allure for me either. But the enemy knows where each of us is vulnerable, and that's the spot he aims for.
In this and the next few chapters we are going to deal with areas that are major problems for many believers; areas in which God's people, including parents and their children, are giving tremendous ground to the enemy to attack them. The first of these is the area of bitterness and unforgiveness.
A Story of Forgiveness
If I had to sum up the message of the Scriptures in one word, it would be the word forgiveness. The Bible is the story of how God forgives. It begins in Genesis and continues through Revelation. Along the way we see God reaching out to people to forgive them.
Now if forgiveness is one of the central themes of Bible-perhaps the central theme-where do you suppose the enemy might attack you and me as God's children? Through unforgiveness. How can I go and tell other men and women the good news that they can be forgiven by God when I am harboring unforgiveness in my own heart? In fact, when unforgiveness and bitterness rule my heart, I'm moving backward in my relationships with people and God, and I'm opening myself up to Satan's attacks.
Forgiving Others
How did Jesus Himself teach us to pray? One of His requests in His model prayer was "Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors" (Matthew 6:12
12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
That's a heavy-duty request, isn't it? Jesus isn't talking about forgiveness in regard to salvation here, but the kind of forgiveness we are to extend to others precisely because we are forgiven, people.
This is forgiveness that keeps us in proper fellowship with Him.
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;
speaks powerfully to the dangers of allowing a "root of bitterness" to grow in our hearts. The picture of a plant growing from its root is a perfect illustration of what the writer is saying. If the root is bitter, what can the plant produce but bitterness? You can't plant an apple tree and expect figs. Notice how wide-ranging the effects of bitterness are. "Many" will be defiled if bitterness is allowed to grow in the hearts of God's people.
But Christians don't like to admit they're bitter. What do Christians say? "Ive been hurt," or "I have resentments." I'm not denying the fact that we can be hurt by others. But resentments are bitterness in the crib, just waiting to grow up into full-fledged bitterness. We need to call it by its worst name and see it for what it is.
Getting the Root
I have a silk dandelion in a flowerpot on my desk. It's a great teaching tool. When I ask people what kind of flower it is, they usually say,
"That's not a flower. It's a dandelion, a weed."
«You're right," I reply. "It is a weed. If I wanted to get rid of dandelions, how would I do it? By pulling off the petals and throwing them away?"
"No."
"Could I just mow over them with the lawn mower? Would that take care of my problem?"
"No."
"Right again. There's only one way to get rid of a dandelion. Pull it up, roots and all."
Most readily agree. And that's what we must do to clear bitterness from our lives. We must recognize it is a weed- a sin--and pull it all out.
Suppose your doctor gives you the bad news that you have cancer and need surgery. You have the operation, and as you're coming out of the anesthetic, the doctor walks into your room. What's the first thing you want to know? "Did you get it all?"
"We got most of it." Is that very comforting? It's the same with bitterness and resentment. If we don't get it, roots and all, it will grow up and many will be affected and defiled by it. It's not just a secret thing when I harbor wrong feelings in my heart.
Suffering and Bitterness
The apostle Peter in his first epistle, teaches us much about the bitterness that can come from suffering. First, Peter is a treatise on how to respond to suffering. Clearly, Peter has no room for the false gospel that if you become a Christian, everything is going to be wonderful.
That preaching is false. Christians and non-Christians go through the same life experiences-with one big difference. God's people don't have to go through their suffering alone. When Jesus died on the cross, the darkness surrounded Him and He cried out in agony. Jesus went through His darkness all alone so that I don't have to go through my darkness alone.
But we all suffer. In fact,1 Peter 4:19
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
says suffering is God's will for His people. You won’t see this verse hanging on too many decorative wall plaques. But I'lI say this. If our Christianity doesn't work in suffering, we don't have much to offer anyone.
All of this is relevant to the issue of bitterness and unforgiveness because these feelings are usually triggered when we are called to suffer, especially when we have been wrongfully treated by others. In fact, Peter concludes chapter 4 with a discussion of how to respond to suffering that comes when someone treats you unfairly for your devotion to Christ. (See
I PETER 4:14-19 note also 2:19-24.)
14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.
16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf.
17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?
19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Getting Rid of Bitterness
Removing bitterness from our lives requires three steps. Each one is vital; a person must take all three steps or the process won't work.
Remember, Satan will not let go easily of any ground I have yielded to him through bitterness or some other sin.
For an example of how to respond to suffering and avoid bitterness, we are to look at Jesus, according to Peter.
Jesus is our example here. Sometimes we suffer unjustly.
Other times we reap the consequences of bad decisions. Our words and actions are improper; we say things we ought not say, and we do things we ought not do. But Jesus never said or did anything wrong. His suffering was wholly unjust. But rather than retaliating or becoming bitter when He suffered, He "committed Himself to Him who judges righteously." Jesus knew that His Father would always do what was right. So He was able to say to God, "I commit this to You because I know You will do what is right." Here is the first step in ridding ourselves of bitterness.
you and be willing to release them to God so He can deal with them Romans 12:19
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
Peter says that when we do wrong and bear the suffering for it, there's no praise. But if a person whose conscience is clear before God suffers for something he didn't do and commits it to the Lord, He can be honored through it.
This first step is so important because we'll see later that Jesus Himself said bitterness gives ground to the enemy.
Learning how to deal with bitterness is also vital because suffering isn't an option for us.
It's our calling as Christians to suffer (1 Peter 2:21a
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:
But if you can't trust God when things are bad, you open up to bitterness. Dealing with those who have hurt or wronged you is God's job, not yours (Romans 12:19
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
When you try to take that responsibility upon yourself, you free God of any responsibility to act on your behalf.
We've already seen that suffering is a given. It's coming, so it's much better to be prepared for it ahead of time and know how to respond. As Peter wrote,
1 Peter 4:1-2
How do we arm ourselves with the same mind as Christ in suffering?
By not retaliating but committing it to God. This is a real struggle for many people.
The issue is, can we trust God when we suffer? I can tell you this was a terrible struggle for me. I've mentioned the unhappiness of my home life and the awful feelings I had growing up.
Those wounds affected me well into adulthood, and I had tremendous bitterness against God for the suffering I endured at my father’s hands.
ILLUSTRATION OF ANGER:
That really stunned me. I thought to myself, I can't believe this guy is saying this stuff. He's off the wall. God wouldn't put me in a home where I was verbally abused and put down all my life, would He?
God in His wisdom gives us the right family setting in which He can work. No family background is too difficult for God to work through.
Many of the people I counsel with are bitter toward God for the things that have happened to them, even being placed in a particular family. But it's hard for them to admit their bitterness, just as it was hard for me years earlier to realize I was actually bitter toward God for my family life.
Bitterness is making God accountable to me. It's also an affront to His sovereignty. We’re saying, "God, I don't like what You're doing, and I want You to know it. You didn't ask my permission or check with me beforehand, and I'm angry."
In the last part of verse 1, Peter also says that suffering is part of God's purifying process to help us get rid of sin. Sometimes we pray
"Lord, I want to be godly," then we shove away all the tools by which He wants to purify us. Often when a tough time comes, we first say, "Why me?" (see v. 12).
God's answer is, "Why not you?" It's a good question. Why should you or I be excluded from the "fiery trial"? We want to be godly, but often we don't want the refining fires. When they hit, we become resentful and bitter in becoming godly. Isn't that amazing? We become bitter because God didn't do it the way we expected.
When I think of fiery trials, I think of the prophet Daniel's three friends (Daniel 3). When they were thrown into the furnace, what burned? Just the ropes that bound them. That's all. God wants to burn the ropes that have us in bondage.
And as Peter wrote in verse 13, we are to rejoice rather than turn bitter in trials. Why? Because the glory of God rests upon us.
Corrie ten Boom recounted a tale of great suffering in her epic of faith to God, The Hiding Place. Her Dutch father died for hiding Jews from the Nazis, and Corrie and her sister Betsie endured great pain in the Ravensbruck concentration camp, with Betsie eventually dying at the camp. Years before Corrie wrote The Hiding Place, I heard her speak.
Here was this little Dutch lady who suffered so terribly for serving God, but who chose to trust Him and forgive rather than turn bitter: in a moving climax to the book, she forgave the guard who had mistreated her and Betsie. Millions of lives were touched because of her obedience. As I listened to her speak that night, the glow of God was on that woman's face.
2. Forgive from the Heart
Step two in getting rid of bitterness is found in Matthew 18:21-22
21 Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?
22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.
If I am going to be free of bitterness, I must be willing to forgive people from the heart. When Peter asked at what point he could stop forgiving someone, Jesus answered by calling for unlimited forgiveness.
Every time a person hurts me, I must forgive. Most of us have
heard Jesus' words so often we miss the significance of what He's saying. Imagine what unlimited forgiveness means, for example, to a wife who has an abusive husband. Is there a point at which she can stop forgiving him? She may have to separate herself from him for her own protection, but she still can-and should-forgive him.
Remember Mary in chapter 1? Look at her testimony again (pages
24-25), and you'll notice that in the final paragraph she thanked the Lord for enabling her to avoid the crippling effects of bitterness in her own life while she struggled with her husband's verbal abuse. God empowered Mary to put away bitterness and resentment toward her husband. Instead, she began to return his rejection with Christlike love.
The only thing that made this testimony possible was a wife who decided to trust God for the grace to forgive her husband and let Him take care of the results.
Notice that after Jesus' call for endless forgiveness in Matthew 18, He told a story (v. 23-34) about forgiveness. The numbers in the story are staggering: this servant owed the king $10 million, but was forgiven.
A second servant owed the first servant a few dollars in comparison, but the forgiven servant refused to forgive him. As a result, he was turned over to "his torturers" by the king (v. 34). Jesus didn't want us to miss the application of this amazing story of unforgiveness, so He gave it to us Himself (v. 35). If we hold resentments and unforgiveness in our hearts against anyone, the same thing will happen to us. We will give the enemy ground to torment us.
We also find this same idea in the church age. In 1 Corinthians S:l-5, Paul writes about a sin in the church that was so bad it was offensive even to the local unbelievers. What was chis man's judgment?
To be delivered to Satan (v. 5).
In the New Testament, church discipline was turning the offender over to demonic forces (see also 1 Timothy 1:20). The spiritual protection of the church was removed from this person and the enemy was
free to wreak havoc on him-even "for the destruction of the flesh." But the man at Corinth repented, and the church didn't know what to do
(2 Corinthians 2:1-11
1 But I determined this with myself, that I would not come again to you in heaviness.
2 For if I make you sorry, who is he then that maketh me glad, but the same which is made sorry by me?
3 And I wrote this same unto you, lest, when I came, I should have sorrow from them of whom I ought to rejoice; having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.
4 For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote unto you with many tears; not that ye should be grieved, but that ye might know the love which I have more abundantly unto you.
5 But if any have caused grief, he hath not grieved me, but in part: that I may not overcharge you all.
6 Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was inflicted of many.
7 So that contrariwise ye ought rather to forgive him, and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow.
8 Wherefore I beseech you that ye would confirm your love toward him.
9 For to this end also did I write, that I might know the proof of you, whether ye be obedient in all things.
10 To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;
11 Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
"Forgive him," Paul says (v. 7). Then he adds his own forgiveness (v. 10). Do this, he says, "Lest Satan should take advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices" (v. 11). Bitterness and a refusal to forgive others are Satan's devices that open a person to demonic attacks and damage the body of Christ, and Paul knew that.
As I said in an earlier chapter, the problem today is that we are ignorant of Satan's works and ways. For instance, researchers report that the divorce rate among believers is as bad as it is among unbelievers.
Unforgiving spouses infect and tear down many marriages.
How much unforgiveness do you suppose is involved in divorce?
If you don't know how to forgive, don't get married. Whether you are married or single, remember Jesus commands you to forgive. And we are not to forgive artificially or halfheartedly. We must forgive others fully, from our hearts. That is, we must get in touch with THE pain of the offense and release it to God by forgiving the person by name for the specific offenses that caused the pain. "God, I forgive (the offender) for (the offense)."
3. Live with the Consequences
The third and final step in releasing bitterness is a willingness to live with the ongoing consequences of the offender's actions. This is the most difficult step of all if it applies. Yet it is essential if we are to escape the consequences of a bitter spirit and honor God by obeying Him. The key to being willing to live with the consequences is to maintain vital contact with the Holy Spirit. Ephesians 4:30-32
30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
says this is essential if we want to be successful in spiritual warfare. We're told not to grieve the Holy Spirit, and then in the very next phrase we are told, "Let all bitterness ... be put away from you" (v. 31). Anger is mentioned too.
Many bitter people also struggle with anger.
Notice what we are to replace all of the sinful acts in verse 31 with: forgiveness. And not just any forgiveness. We are to forgive the way Jesus forgave us completely. He forgave us an eternal debt.
When forgiving someone who has offended us, we must obey, even when the feelings aren't there.
32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
clarifies that God is not asking me to feel but do something. When God told Moses to stretch out his staff over the Red Sea, he could have doubted, even being resentful that God had put him in this predicament -the approaching Egyptian army pinning him against the sea and his people, unarmed, tired from the journey, some of them complaining. Moses could have complained and refused.
Instead, he did as God commanded because it was God who asked and Moses knew who God is. Faith demands a warrant, a grounds for belief. A warrant is a legal document on which an action is based. God's Word, His promise to act, was the warrant for Moses' faith. We know he had faith because of his actions. That's the way it is with forgiveness. We can respond with forgiveness even when our feelings say no, for God's Word commands us and promises His blessings to those who do forgive.
Removing Bitterness
If you have not forgiven someone, you likely harbor an unforgiving spirit and bitterness, for as time passes the resentment over an offense deepens into bitterness. You must forgive.
Here's how.
1. Ask God to reveal to your mind the people against whom you are holding feelings that are not right. Make a list of the name(s) as God reveals them. Also, check yourself to see if you are holding any bitterness toward God or yourself, and include these names on your list if that is the case.
2. Start at the bottom of the list because these people are usually easier to forgive. As you work your way up the list, tell God you forgive each person and release the hurts to Him. That's forgiving from your heart. We are bitter for a reason, and we must get in touch with pain-that is, the reason we are bitter.
3. If, after forgiving the person for the significant offense, you recall a specific, hurtful incident, don't let your feelings smolder anew. Instead, release them to God then and there. In my experience with my own father, I found that after dealing with significant offenses, I would remember days or weeks later a specific incident. I would stop and pray, "God, I forgive my dad for.
(the specific offense) also."
You only need to deal with the things God brings to your remembrance.
4. Tell God you are willing to live with the ongoing consequences of the offender's action and share these with Him in prayer.
5. Ask God to take back the ground you have given Satan through unforgiveness, then turn around and reach for the things ahead.
6. If some future action of a person you have forgiven triggers painful memories and vou are tempted to pick up past bitterness, release this
Temptation to God on the spot.
Following the tragedy, Jim Elliot's wife, Elisabeth Elliot, continued to feel a strong calling to carry on her husband's work and reach out to the Waorani tribe with the message of the Gospel. In 1958, she and her young daughter, Valerie, moved to live among the very tribe that had killed her husband.
Elisabeth Elliot's decision to live with the Waorani was a significant act of bravery, forgiveness, and dedication to her Christian faith. She wanted to build relationships with the tribe members and share the message of God's love and forgiveness, just as her husband had hoped to do. Her presence and commitment to understanding their language and culture had a profound impact on the tribe.
Over time, Elisabeth Elliot gained the trust and respect of the Waorani people, and many of them embraced Christianity. Her work among the Waorani continued for several years, and she later remarried another missionary, Addison Leitch. Elisabeth Elliot's story and the transformation of the Waorani tribe became an inspiration to many people worldwide.
Overall, the story of Jim Elliot's death and Elisabeth Elliot's subsequent missionary work among the Waorani tribe is a testament to their faith, courage, and commitment to serving others, even in the face of great personal tragedy.