RESENTMENT ROTS THE ROOT — ROSS SMITH

RESENTMENT ROTS THE ROOT                                                                             ROSS SMITH

Hebrews 12:15                                  EXERCISE foresight and be on the WATCH to look [after one another], to SEE that no one falls back from and fails to secure God’s grace (His unmerited favor and spiritual blessing), in order  (This is the apodosis, “in order” is the same as “Then” or “So that”   …   comments mine)  that no ROOT OF RESENTMENT (rancor, bitterness, or hatred) shoots forth and causes trouble and bitter torment, and the many become contaminated and defiled by it

If we cannot be trusted to deal with personal affront, how will we ever be trusted to deal with national events?

“RESENTMENT” always has a basic constituent, “I, my, me, mine, want, wish, wallow”. In the above verse, there are three (3) distinct directions on how we are to proceed in the elimination of “RESENTMENT”, EXERCISE, WATCH, SEE.

If we review the men of authority in the Word of God, then in most cases they had justifiable reason to harbour “RESENTMENT”, but overcame the thought and the condition, and did so without seeking any recrimination.

1 Corinthians 3:1                              HOWEVER, BRETHREN, I could not talk to you as to spiritual [men], but as to nonspiritual [men of the flesh, in whom the carnal nature predominates], as to mere infants [in the new life] in Christ [N1unable to talk yet!]

JOSEPH                                   From Pit to Prime Minister

MOSES                                    From Fear of Pharaoh to Finishing Pharaoh

JOB                                           From Riches to rags, and back again

DAVID                                     From Shepherd to Celebrity

ABRAHAM                             From Ur to ……….WHERE!!!

Have you ever noticed that a feature of roots is that they SPREAD, and often this spread is so prolific that the plant becomes “NOXIOUS”? This means “Injurious to physical or mental health, such as noxious chemical waste, noxious ideas, corrupting, harmful, pernicious, vesicant” just to take a few dictionary descriptions.” Have you ever, or have you seen someone stung by stinging nettles, and the blisters that arise, that is from a “vesicant” plant.

Does not this precisely describe the effects of “RESENTMENT”, the root spreads until it permeates every aspect of a person’s life, and strangles the life from other “plants” (people) anywhere near the vicinity, the root is tenacious, pervasive and plunders the soil of the location it is found in.

MORETON BAY FIG ROOT SYSTEM

The Moreton Bay Fig is a classical example, it often begins life high up in another tree and produces roots that grow down the trunk of the supporting tree to the ground. This network of roots eventually strangles the supporting tree which dies, leaving the fig tree with a hollow trunk formed from roots. The tree eventually grows big enough to emerge from the forest canopy and tower above it. Resentment takes its nourishment by feeding off our inward and inappropriate thought processes involving someone else. This “disease” can eventually kill off the other person through the sense or awareness of the hate.

 

CANADIAN RED WOOD ROOT SYSTEM

PERVASIVENESS OF NOXIOUS FLORA

 Where there is “ROOT ROT” there is seldom any FRUIT, because the plant becomes unable to absorb nutrients, and the plants often resemble those suffering from drought, stress and deficiencies.

Resentment is a condition that usually builds over time and as above, is evident as a lack of fruitfulness in the Christian experience.  It is imperceptible at first, but over time develops layers as disappointments mount and nothing changes, just like the roots spread of the noxious weed.

The condition of “RESENTMENT” has other side effects, it becomes “OBNOXIOUS”, defined as causing disapproval or protest, and the state of “OBNOXIOUSNESS” is the quality (not sure that “quality” is a good word here) of being hateful.

 In the natural state, there are chemicals that may or may not deal with these out of control plants, but in the spiritual, there is a remedy that IS guaranteed not to fail.

 2 Corinthians 7:1                              THEREFORE, SINCE these [great] promises are ours, beloved, LET US CLEANSE OURSELVES from everything that contaminates and defiles body and spirit, and BRING [OUR] CONSECRATION TO COMPLETENESS IN THE [REVERENTIAL] FEAR OF GOD.

2 Timothy 2:21                                  So WHOEVER CLEANSES HIMSELF [from what is ignoble and unclean, who separates himself from contact with contaminating and corrupting influences] WILL [THEN HIMSELF] BE A VESSEL SET APART AND USEFUL FOR HONORABLE AND NOBLE PURPOSES, CONSECRATED AND PROFITABLE TO THE MASTER, FIT AND READY FOR ANY GOOD WORK. 

In both these scriptures the eradication of the “contaminant” is a task that we are to address personally and individually, which immediately disendorses any argument, or the assignment of any blame on anyone else; despite what we think they have done; whether we deserved it or not; or any sense of being poorly done by; or assuming it is an inherited trait, scripture clearly points up that it is up to us, sorry about that!!!!!

But it also contains another element, a critical one, and that is “OUR CONSECRATION”. “Wordweb” describes it like this “A solemn commitment of your life or your time to some cherished purpose (to a service or a goal), sanctification of something by setting it apart (usually with religious rites) as dedicated to God”. So, we firstly have the “clean-up”, and then we have the “set up”.

Isaiah has an uncomfortable ability to put us on the spot also, for in chapter 5, in verses 19 to 23 he describes the characteristics of some of those who contribute to dissention and schism, but of particular interest, is

Isaiah 5:21                                          Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and prudent and shrewd in their own sight!

 This is the basis for much of our harbouring “RESENTMENT”, we always think we are right and the other person is wrong, we have got it all together and “I need to be able to educate these people”, when in fact we are subjecting ourselves to “WOE”. Maybe the word should have been “WHOA”, to step back and see where the problem genuinely originates, not in them, but in me.

This is not much comfort when we are going through it, allowing the corrosion to continue, and most often it is because we have not brought the Word of God to bear on the situation, and again we can rely on Isaiah to point up the aberration.

Isaiah 5:24                                          Therefore, as the tongue of fire devours the stubble, and as the dry grass sinks down in the flame, so their ROOT SHALL BE LIKE ROTTENNESS and their blossom shall go up like fine dust—BECAUSE THEY HAVE REJECTED AND CAST AWAY THE LAW AND THE TEACHING OF THE LORD OF HOSTS AND HAVE NOT BELIEVED BUT HAVE TREATED SCORNFULLY AND HAVE DESPISED THE WORD OF THE HOLY ONE OF ISRAEL.

THE HEART IS THE ROOT, THE LANGUAGE IS THE FRUIT  ——  Spite and hate blind the eyes, and distort the judgement, and it is from this “ROOT” that we speak, it is “out of the abundance of the heart” (Luke 6:45)

James 3:6                                            And THE TONGUE is a fire. [The tongue is a] world of wickedness set among our members, contaminating and depraving the whole body and setting on fire the wheel of birth (the cycle of man’s nature), being itself ignited by hell (Gehenna).

This is accurately describing the insidious progress of holding onto resentment, the words may not be uttered, but words are the same as actions to the Lord. “As a man thinks, so is he” (Proverbs 23:7)

The language we use is the spreading habit common to noxious weeds, it sows a root, and not only pervades the individual making the statement, but to all those who happen to be in earshot. It can be done blatantly when we are “RESENTFUL”, or it can be done surreptitiously, when we want to score some points, or it can even be done unwittingly, because if we think about a problem we help to expand and consolidate that problem. That is why we understand our problems, because we contemplate them, WHEREAS WE SHOULD CONTEMPLATE OUR GOD.

Ephesians 4:29                                  Let no foul or polluting language, nor evil word nor unwholesome or worthless talk [ever] come out of your mouth, but only such [speech] as is good and beneficial to the spiritual progress of others, as is fitting to the need and the occasion, that it may be a blessing and give grace (God’s favor) to those who hear it.

When James penned his epistle, I wonder if he ever imagined that here in the 21^st century the advice still is as current and as potent as ever?

James 1:19-21                                   UNDERSTAND [THIS], my beloved brethren. Let every man be quick to hear [a ready listener], slow to speak, slow to take offense and to get angry. For man’s anger does not promote the righteousness God [wishes and requires]. SO GET RID OF ALL UNCLEANNESS AND THE RAMPANT OUTGROWTH OF WICKEDNESS, and in a humble (gentle, modest) spirit receive and welcome the Word which implanted and rooted [in your hearts] contains the power to save your souls.

Peter also promotes the clean-up of our act, and spells it out for those of us who may have a penchant for excuse, and where James called it “UNCLEANNESS AND RAMPANT OUTGROWTH OF WICKEDNESS”, Peter names the conditions one by one so that “UNCLEANNESS and WICKEDNESS” no longer are just clichés but are real everyday experiences, that develop into the “RAMPANT OUTGROWTH”.

1 Peter 2:1                                          SO BE done with every trace of wickedness (depravity, malignity) and all deceit and insincerity (pretence, hypocrisy) and grudges (envy, jealousy) and slander and evil speaking of every kind.

It would almost seem like there was some collusion between the authors of New Testament writings, or they went to the same university, or had the same professor, for their descriptions of the rottenness of the root categorises all the various initiators.

Ephesians 4:31-32                            Let all bitterness and indignation and wrath (passion, rage, bad temper) and resentment (anger, animosity) and quarrelling (brawling, clamour, contention) and slander (evil-speaking, abusive or blasphemous language) be banished from you, with all malice (spite, ill will, or baseness of any kind). And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tender-hearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you.

In one verse Paul identifies twenty (20) different aberrant behaviour patterns that promote the scourge of mankind, and in almost every instance they are actions that involve the expression of our heart, speaking out what we are thinking. He then balances the equation with seven (7) recommendations for the rejuvenation of the soil of our hearts, when the “weeds” have been dug out from the root, when we have “cleansed ourselves” so the restoration requires far less effort than the eradication. It is only after the remedial work has been done that the consecration can really begin. Colossians further extends the matter so that there is no opportunity for excuse, and again you will notice that almost without exception this behaviour involves the tongue, energised by the heart.

Colossians 3:8-10                             But now put away and rid yourselves [completely] of all these things: anger, rage, bad feeling toward others, curses and slander, and foulmouthed abuse and shameful utterances from your lips! Do not lie to one another, for YOU HAVE STRIPPED OFF THE OLD (UNREGENERATE) SELF WITH ITS EVIL PRACTICES, And have clothed yourselves with the new [spiritual self], which is [ever in the process of being] renewed and remoulded into [fuller and more perfect N1knowledge upon] knowledge after the image (the likeness) of Him Who created it.

I can almost hear some people saying, “well its sounds good in theory, but I am not sure of the practicality”. Well we are so blest to have such a great “SELF HELP BOOK”, but when it is not used for reference in the matters of concern, then it is obviously not being applied as directed,

James 1:22  (ERV)                            DO WHAT GOD’S TEACHING SAYS; DON’T JUST LISTEN AND DO NOTHING. WHEN YOU ONLY SIT AND LISTEN, YOU ARE FOOLING YOURSELVES.