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

My wife and I enjoy the flavor of mint and so we decided it would be great to start growing mint in the small garden that we have along the side of our home.  It worked great!  It was so bright and green and vibrant looking and of course, had the great aroma of mint.  But the greatest benefit of all was that when cooking, if a few sprigs of mint were needed, we just stepped outside, and picked a few stems. (It had always been so frustrating having to buy a whole bunch of mint and ¾ of it would go bad before you could use it all.

When next year rolled around, it was so great to see the mint popping back up again without having to replant it!  But as the days and weeks went by, we found it popping up in unexpected places, places that we didn’t want it – among the flowers on the other side of the drain, under the garden barrier and out into the lawn!  We found that it was an invasive plant, and the roots would travel underground and pop up in the most unexpected places.  The only way to control it, was to dig down and carefully and decisively pull out the roots that kept spreading. Leaving even a sliver of root in the ground will guarantee that your yard will be continually “defiled.”

The writer of Hebrews must have had some experience with mint or some other invasive plant, because he used that to warn of the “root of bitterness” that can spring up and defile so many if it is not dealt with. 

Bitterness is an invasive spiritual ‘species’ that can spread so quickly throughout a group of people. Moses warned the Israelites about letting their hearts turn away from God in pursuit of idols, becoming a “root among you that produces such bitter poison” (Deuteronomy 29:18, NIV).

Bitterness is often a result of selfishness…we didn’t get our way, or I wasn’t treated the way I felt I should have been treated.  If we hold on to bitterness, it poisons all who are around us and we are not allowing God’s grace to work in us.  Don’t be bitter, but let’s be better. Rip up bitterness by the root! Stay focused on God’s love, God’s grace, and God’s forgiveness—and extend the same to everyone you are around.

Psalm 32:3-5

When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.  For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord.”  And you forgave the guilt of my sin.