Dealing with The Twin Foxes -Unforgiveness and Bitterness

UV 1526/10000 Dealing with The Twin Foxes: Unforgiveness and Bitterness

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;

Hebrews 12 v 15

One of the important elements of the Lord’s prayer that Jesus taught us as a model to imitate not just in prayer but in our lives is “ Forgive me even as I forgive others.” We are only forgiven to the extent we forgive others. We need to forgive others to the extent God forgave us in Jesus His Son. Every human being errs against others and has others erring against him or her. Hence, forgiveness is a daily necessity, a way of life. But unforgiveness and bitterness are the twin foxes that creep on young believers early in their walk with God. The unforgiveness and bitterness develops against fellow believers as well as members of our own families, both for real, imagined or exaggerated wrongs done to us. The greater our proximity, intimacy, trust and love for the person or persons who wronged us, the greater is the extent of bitterness and the inability to forgive. The unforgiveness and consequent bitterness becomes a wild vine within us that brings forth bitter fruit. It gives rise to anger, disease, stress, fruitlessness, curses, depression and hatred. It will prove that we have received the grace of God in vain.



When we harbour bitterness and unforgiveness, we betray or fail the grace of the Lord who did everything possible that we bear good fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility and self control. Unforgiveness and bitterness are two wily foxes that will run amuck and destroy the fruit of the vineyard the Lord has planted in our lives. We need to tie their two tails together and set them on fire and send them scurrying into enemy territory, never to return to our fields or any part of our lives. Aaron and Miriam harboured some bitterness against their own brother Moses and consequently were afflicted with leprosy. They were delivered only when Moses interceded on their behalf with the Lord. The person who led me to a personal relationship with Jesus was for a couple of years bitter with his mentors for certain misunderstanding that had developed during the time he worked in a startup firm of one of them. I have come across another young man who was threatened that he would be thrown out physically from the office by someone he looked up to for guidance as he dared to point out some of his faults. Such hurts are very painful and the best way to overcome it is to seek more of the Lord’s grace to forgive and move on.


We need to examine ourselves diligently and regularly to detect any activity or skirmishes by the two foxes of unforgiveness and bitterness. We need to erect the fence of prayer and the Word around our hearts and minds so that they do not gain any foothold in our lives. Praying for the forgiveness and blessing of those who hurt us is perhaps the best way to get rid of our own pain and hurt. It is bound to be sweeter than revenge. The stealthiness with which unforgiveness and bitterness creep on us is comparable with the steady growth of the roots that are under ground and not visible. The self examination therefore needs to be done not with our human intellect or senses but with the help of the Holy Spirit. We need to seek His help as David did in discovering any hidden error, sin or failing. Unless it is identified and uprooted, it would be like the yeast that will cause our whole lives to rise up with resentment and negative thoughts, words, emotions, actions and reactions.

Prateep V Philip