Faith
How Bitterness Can Destroy a Legacy — The Cautionary Tale of Benedict Arnold
Perhaps you’ve heard the old saying, “Bitterness is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” Being bitter truly hurts the one who is bitter.
Unfortunately, bitterness can spread and hurt others as well. In Hebrews 12:15 the author warns us to be “looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.”
Bitterness is like a poison that will eat a person from the inside out. But in the process, there are times when many others can be hurt too. An example from American history may help illustrate the point.
The time period before the American Revolution saw the population of the colonies deeply divided. The two major factions were the Loyalists, who were loyal to the British crown and wanted to remain a part of England, and the Separatists, who wanted to separate and form their own new country.
Life was hard for many. Setbacks and injustices deeply wounded people and sometimes drove them to do things they might not have done under different circumstances.
A young man from New Haven, Connecticut, with the financial help of a wealthy family, opened a pharmacy and bookstore, and initially saw good success. He managed to repay the debt and helped pay off debt his family owed due to his father’s financial mismanagement and problems with alcohol.
But then things started to go badly. The British parliament imposed the Sugar Act of 1764 and the Stamp Act of 1765, which severely hurt businesses. The young man quickly went from a success to financial ruin, owing a large sum to creditors.
Very angry at what the British had done to him, he joined the Sons of Liberty, a secret organization designed to resist the British and move Americans toward independence. In 1775, at the beginning of the Revolutionary War, he joined the Connecticut militia and participated in the capture of Fort Ticonderoga in May of that year.
While on his way home, he learned his wife had suddenly died. This was another terrible blow. They had been married eight years and had three sons. One can only imagine the anguish and overwhelming grief with which he was burdened.
He continued in his military service and led campaigns against the British in Quebec and had significant roles in Rhode Island and Philadelphia.
He came to know George Washington personally and won General Washington’s trust and admiration. In battle he took several musket balls in his left leg, causing him pain for much of the rest of his life.
Historians agree this young man was a brilliant military strategist, and he was a man of bravery, leading his men from the front. In one battle he took a small force and broke through British lines. But his commanding general refused to give him reinforcements and did not give him proper credit for his actions.
History also records that this young man had a problem controlling his temper at times, and that caused him to lose his seniority in the militia. It probably was part of the reason he was passed over for promotion to major general, although others with fewer qualifications were given such promotions. When he learned this, he tendered his resignation to General Washington, who refused to accept it.
Being passed over for promotion—on top of losing his business and his wife, and being wounded twice in battle—had left him profoundly bitter and jealous.
His business deals drew accusations of corruption, and he was court-martialed on several charges. Most were dismissed, but he was convicted of two minor charges. It hurt more that he was not defended by his friend, George Washington, which he took to be a betrayal.
Not long before, he had met and married an 18-year-old beauty. One writer described her as “very young, very pretty, [and] very Tory.” (The Tories were the staunchest of the Loyalists.)
It seems her family bias and her connections with the British military, combined with his own bitterness over the numerous blows he had suffered in life, led him to make a profound change of loyalties. Primarily through his new wife, he started secretly communicating with the British, passing along intelligence information and details of American troop movements—all treasonous actions!
He was installed as the commander of the fort at West Point, a key military installation in defending against the British. His British contacts then offered him a large sum of money to hand over the fort to them. Arrangements were made, but the plot was discovered and thwarted.
Although his identity as a traitor was discovered, he was able to slip across the lines to the British. The British gave him the rank of brigadier general, and he then used his military acumen to attack the Americans with whom he once served. General Washington took it very personally, and was understandably deeply wounded by the betrayal and treason of a man in whom he had placed much faith and responsibility.
It was hard to fathom how a man who had been so heavily involved in resisting the British, who had bravely led men into battle against the British and had helped win several key battles, could betray his country and the men he had fought beside. It seems his deep bitterness overwhelmed him, and with the encouragement of his charming young wife, he was persuaded to switch sides.
Today, his name is not associated with any of his successes or his military brilliance. It is associated only with treason and betrayal. If you’ve not already guessed, this brilliant officer was none other than Benedict Arnold.
Bitterness is a terrible and powerful state of mind, often resulting from deep hurts and offenses. Jesus said of the time of the end, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another” (Matthew 24:10).
Bitterness is physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually destructive. Moses wrote, “So that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood” (Deuteronomy 29:18).
Bitterness really is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die. For more about beating bitterness
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