Nip It In the Bud
We’ve all heard the term, “nip it in the bud,” which usually refers to stopping something before it can get worse. The origin of this phrase dates back to the 1600’s and relates to horticulture, as growers would pinch off new buds on plants or trees to force the plant’s energy to other, more productive areas, like maturing or filling out.
When we use the phrase today, we may be seeing a bad behavior in our child, or maybe a kicked bad habit is rearing its ugly head…best nip it in the bud before it gets worse, before it takes root and grows. I know for the mere fact that I have weeds growing in the cracks of concrete on my driveway that it doesn’t take much for a seed to take root and start to grow. As believers of Jesus Christ, we have to be mindful of the things that take root and begin to grow within us. If we remain in Him, vigilant through faith, love and forgiveness take root and grow inside of us. But if we stray from Him, bitterness and hate can take root, and choke out everything else.
The roots of bitterness grow wild and fast. They affect us and they affect those around us. Hebrews 12:15 says “See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.” I like how The Message says it, “Work at getting along with each other and with God, otherwise you’ll never get so much as a glimpse of God. Make sure no one gets left out of God’s generosity. Keep a sharp eye out for weeds of bitter discontent. A thistle or two gone to seed can ruin a whole garden in no time.”
What causes bitterness? Conflict with others. We get offended by something that someone did or said and instead of nipping it in the bud; we let it hang out a while, take up residence in our soul and before long a fountain of bitterness is all that’s flowing out of us. We cannot allow our offender or ourselves to fall short of the grace of God by allowing bitterness to linger within us.
There’s another saying you’ve probably heard, “like water off a duck’s back.” Ducks secrete oils on their feathers so that water rolls off of them, instead of drowning them. The bible says to anoint yourself with oil. There are many reasons to do so, but one could be that if we get a little oily, a little slippery, maybe offenses would roll off our backs too, preventing any bitterness from hanging on and drowning us.