Ephesians 4:31-32
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
When I hold on to anger, I am unable to forgive. Anger ties up my forgiveness and puts it out of my reach. If I am to truly forgive, I first must let go of my anger. I often just forget about what I was angry about in the first place. But I am realizing today it is better to actively forget and then actively forgive.
Father God, you have demonstrated the greatest example of setting aside anger and replacing with forgiveness. Help me with my transformation, Lord. Amen
Becky, transforming
pic by Kay
Ephesians 4:31-32 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. If ever I needed some wise words, I sure do need these today. Forgiveness matters. In fact, it’s part of the foundation of all our relationships. Forgiveness is particularly important for believers, because we are forgiven people. I love a good “before and after” picture. Maybe you’ve been hurt very, very badly by someone. Maybe someone has sinned hideously against you. Maybe they’ve abused you or used their power against you. Maybe they’ve robbed you of whom you might have become. Before and after pictu…
Ephesians 4:31–32 It seems to me the whole world needs to read these verses. The first verse of behaviors seems too prevalent in our society. Evil behavior seems a common place story in today’s news. We all need a lesson and forgiveness. If you forgive, you cannot hold onto bitterness, rage, and anger. The lesson is that forgiveness benefits the forgiver so they can put away anger and move forward in peace and kindness. Prayer: Gracious God, these are difficult times. Please help us all remember to be kind, tenderhearted, and forgiving of each other. Amen
Ephesians 4: 31-32 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Anger is such a part of our society today. It may have always been that way, but with the instant connections of today, we hear about it instantly. There is a saying, “let go and let God,” we have an active role in this. I need to let go of any anger and ask the Holy Spirit to fill my heart with good thoughts as God would want me to do. Anger is sometimes a form of ego, and I have to step…
Ephesians 4:31-32
Forgiveness for the Christian is the essence of justice. The world still largely executes justice on the Old Testament eye for an eye model. At its core this is driven by anger. I am reminded of the old saying that if everything was eye for an eye, soon the whole world would be blind. Paul grasped the enormity of Jesus’ forgiveness of sin and makes gratitude rather than anger the driving force behind justice. I have mentioned it before, but again recommend watching the brief video of the father of one of the BTK serial killer’s victims forgiving him in the name of Jesus. This grieving father has a spiritual strength that challenges me greatly.
Prayer - God…