October · Daily Formation
Thursday, October 8, 2026
Topic: The Poison You Drink
Ephesians 4:31
"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger." — Ephesians 4:31
CrossCamp Formation Truth
Bitterness doesn't hurt them. It poisons you.
Listen — audio devotion
The Poison You Drink
Written by Pastor A. B. Samuel — lead pastor and visionary of CrossCamp Church
Narrated with a soft worship instrumental, like a podcast. You can follow the timeline, replay any part and download it.
Morning Reflection
A wise elder once told a young man still angry over an old wrong done to him years earlier, "Bitterness is like drinking poison yourself and expecting the other person to get sick." The young man had never thought of it that way — he'd assumed his anger was somehow punishing the person who hurt him.
The Word
Bitterness feels like it's protecting you or getting justice. Actually, it mostly just harms the person carrying it. The offender often isn't even thinking about it anymore — while the hurt person keeps drinking the same poison, day after day.
Ephesians 4:31 tells us to get rid of bitterness — not because the original hurt didn't matter, but because carrying it doesn't heal it. It just spreads the damage further, into you.
A Simple Story Jesus Might Tell Today
A boy carried a heavy stone everywhere for weeks, insisting it belonged to the person who wronged him. Eventually he realized: he was the only one getting tired from carrying it.
CrossCamp ReflectionIs there bitterness I've been carrying that's actually only hurting me?
Identify one bitter thought you've been holding onto, and bring it honestly to God today.
Lord, I don't want to drink poison anymore. Help me release the bitterness I've been carrying. Amen.