The Root of Rot

A pastor friend of mine was out visiting and really got his feelings hurt. He told me he tried everything to usher calmness back into his spirit and his temper when he got home. He quoted Bible verses, he rebuked Satan, he bossed his feelings around with truth, he even tried to take a nap, but none of these activities calmed him down. What really sent him over the edge was a smell in his house that not even three strongly scented candles could mask. He said, “I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was or where it was coming from, but it was driving me crazy and I was in a bad mood already.”

Finally, he realized his daughter had placed a bathroom trashcan in the middle of her bedroom floor so she could toss scraps of paper in as she worked on a school project. Something had obviously been thrown away in that trashcan that had surpassed gross and moved into the final stages of rot. Or something had crawled up into that can and died.

He said, “I didn't have the heart to find out what the rot was; I just knew the trash can had to go out-Immediately!” He continued, “The smell was an outward indication of an internal situation and the trashcan wasn't the only thing that stunk that day. So did my attitude. My reaction was an outward indication of an internal situation. There was a stench in my heart because bitterness had started to rot within me.” The reason he couldn't be soothed by quoting scriptures, bossing his feelings, rebuking Satan, or even taking a nap was because God wanted him to be aware of his stench. There was something inside of him that was gross and starting to rot.

When you’ve been hurt by a friend and don't want to forgive the person who has hurt you, rot sets in. You can pretend there’s no bitterness in your heart, but the rot that’s there and the stench deep within your heart will keep spilling out. God doesn’t want us to temporarily mask the situation by feeling better in the moment. He wants us to address the root of our rot—to see it, admit it, expose it, let Him clean it up, and shut it down-Immediately!

A little rot can spread fast if not dealt with swiftly and seriously. That's why it's so crucial to pay attention to our action and reactions today. How we act and react is a crucial gauge of what's really going on inside us. When people, issues or situations bump into our happy, it's not wrong to feel annoyed. But if that annoyance leads to a reaction out of proportion to the issue at hand, we can bank on the fact that this eruption has a root of rot.

Here are some telltale signs of roots of rot:
-You throw out statements based on your opinion and not fact.
-You start gathering ammunition from past situations to build your case.
-You use words and a tone derogatory to your testimony.
-You justify your reaction by pointing out how hard your life is right now.
-You demand an apology, all the while knowing you should be giving one.

These are not fun things to admit, but here's the beauty of the situation: The quicker we see a root of rot, the quicker we can get rid of the stench and move forward. Your attitude does make a difference in handling things that otherwise will make you rot inwardly. Don’t let rot ruin your mind or your spirit. Keep it at bay by heeding the Word of God.

Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”