December 24

Hebrews 12:15 (NIV84) — 15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

I come along these passages that I have quoted for years, or half quoted as in this case (the latter half) and my eyes see something that I have never seen before. I got the whole bitter root thing, that it causes trouble, it’s a growing thing, it defiles many and a couple of other life points, but it was the missing the grace of God that jumped out at me. Let me put it in a simple equation:

Missing the grace of God = a growing root of bitterness

Simple yet crazy! It is when we miss, (hustereo- to fail in some measure to attain some state or condition—‘to fail to attain, to not attain, to be behind in) the grace (undeserved or unmerited favor or kindness), we fall into the trap of being bitterness. Bitterness comes from OUR failing to attain a posture of undeserved kindness towards other people (or even ourselves). We tend to treat others as they deserve, or according to what they have done in the past, but that is opening the door for bitterness, and we know that bitterness will cause trouble for MANY people!

Here is a good New Years (New Man/Woman) resolution – extend undeserved kindness to everyone and don’t treat them as their sins deserve! After all, that is what God has done toward us, the least we can do is to do the same to others in honor of Christ.