Christ & Bitterness

During this Christmas season, I have done some pondering about the attributes of Christ. He experienced immense opposition—physical torture, betrayal, loneliness, etc. Yet, Jesus never became bitter because of the hardships He faced.

From my experience, it seems like bitterness always results in two things. First, bitterness is contagious—both to other people, and also to other areas of a bitter person’s life. For example, if a person is bitter about their employment, it is easy for that bitterness to spill over into other areas. In that sense, bitterness seems to be a poison.

Second, bitterness seems to lead people to engage in behaviors they would not otherwise do. I remember hearing a story of a person who was caught embezzling money from his employer. When asked why he committed the crime, one reason he gave was he felt he was underpaid, which led to bitterness. The bitterness festered, which allowed him to justify actions he would not otherwise commit.

When people explain why they participate in certain risky or otherwise unwholesome behaviors, bitterness often appears to be the root cause. Satan gets us to justify certain actions because we are bitter. No one seems to be immune from becoming bitter since everyone faces trials.

Whenever there is a natural disaster, news reporters always interview a bunch of people. Some people express bitterness and anger because of their misfortunes. Other people express gratitude and joy for their blessings despite their trials. People we often view as heroes are those who have found success despite difficult situations.

I need to guard myself against bitterness. I have many blessings and many trials. I need to find effective ways to rid myself of the bitter feelings I have and prevent bitterness in other areas from developing.

Overall, I feel I am a pleasant person. I love people, and I love to have fun. But if I am not careful, bitterness may be my downfall. I hope I can follow the Savior’s example and not become bitter no matter what I face in life.

Judge Not...

My blog is a place where I can express my thoughts and opinions about a variety of issues. However, I think there is a topic I consider very important that I have not discussed much: judging others.

I try hard not to judge others. I have a variety of friends who make very different life choices than me, and my choices are different from their choices. I value their friendships and respect them, and they show the same respect towards me. Wouldn’t life be boring if all of my friends were incredibly similar to me? If that were the case, I would miss out on so many great friendships and experiences in this life.

I have not walked in anyone else’s shoes but my own. I do not pretend to know exactly what other people have experienced even though I may be able to relate to some degree. I do not pretend to know how God will judge, and it is not my place to speculate His righteous, perfect judgments. My job is to “work out [my] own salvation with fear and trembling” (Philip. 2:12).

I love hearing/reading experiences of other people. It helps me learn. Wise people learn from other people—both from their successes and mistakes. I enjoy respectful, enlightening discussion about a variety of topics.

In short, my thoughts and opinions are never intended to be judgmental or condescending to anyone. People can disagree respectfully and share their own experiences, and hopefully we all become better people through listening, learning, and understanding.
I appreciate honest, thoughtful discussion, and I hope to receive a variety of emails and comments on my blog in the future.