I knew a fella once that told me that his favorite tree was a mimosa tree. I was astounded, I hate mimosa trees. I told him that’s a trash tree. When I first moved onto my property it was covered in mimosa trees. 20 plus years later I am still fighting them. Though they have a shallow root system, they have a deep taproot that can reach 3 to 6 feet and a wide-spreading root system with large diameter roots that can cause damage to foundations, patios, and sidewalks. The aggressive root system makes them a challenge.
Because of this I have often compared mimosa trees to the root of bitterness due to their aggressive root system. This root of bitterness, spoken of in Hebrews 12:15, can be aggressive and hard to get rid of. So the last thing that you want to do is feed or water this root. In your personal life or somebody else’s life.
Now you may be thinking how do I feed it. Let me present you with a hypothetical story. Joe, Dan and Bob all know each other. Joe has been having issues with Bob. So much so that he has begun to become bitter with Bob. Now Bob is one of those guys that’s hard to get along with and often says and does stuff that people get offended at. Well every time Bob says something that Dan finds offensive he tells Joe. This just feeds the bitterness that Joe already has towards Bob. Dan isn’t intentionally causing the bitterness in Joe’s life to grow, but with every situation he tells him it does.
Maybe you’ve found yourself in a similar situation. Maybe you are just trying to vent. If your venting is causing someone to grow bitter then you need to stop. Either don’t say a thing or find someone that you can vent to that can listen and not be affected. What you don’t need to do is feed the roots of bitterness. Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled (Hebrews 12:15 KJV).
Ephesians 4:29-32 KJV 29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Proverbs 4:23-24 NHEB 23 Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it is the wellspring of life. 24 Put away from yourself a perverse mouth. Put corrupt lips far from you.