Bitterness Disfigures Us

Transcript

Have you ever been mistreated by someone, and it seems like you can almost taste your anger over what happened? St. John Climacus warns us that our bitterness literally disfigures us. He says,

Wrath is a reminder of hidden hatred, that is to say, remembrance of wrongs. Wrath is a desire for the injury of the one who has provoked you. Irascibility is the untimely blazing up of the heart. Bitterness is a movement of displeasure seated in the soul. Anger is an easily changeable movement of one’s disposition and disfiguration of soul.

This is one reason why forgiveness is so important—it prevents us from being spiritually disfigured.