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 read the first verse today, the word "brawling" struck me. I always think of this as a word used to describe bar room or saloon fights. So my next thought was, "well, I don't act like that- I don't even drink!" But in truth, even though I don't get into in bar fights, I do at times hold on to anger and bitterness, and can be very critical of others when I am angry. Somehow, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I need to work on this, and learn to emotionally walk away when necessary.
Holy Lord, help me to have a more ready attitude of forgiveness, so I can forgive quickly and move on in love. Amen
Becky, transforming
Pic by Kathy C
Having a good/right attitude
Wednesday February 28th, 2024
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.
A tender heart is aware of the needs of others and lovingly understands pain. A tender heart cares less about self and more about the joy that a sacrifice might deliver to a friend's life. A tender heart looks to God for leadership and is always ready to walk beside a person who is going through a valley. What an amazing possibility that is, To be like Jesus in the harsh, severe and cold world…
Ephesians 4:31-32
This is our first lesson this week about having a good/right attitude. The first verse tells us to get rid of our bad behaviors. Then, we are asked to be kind. There are lots of reminders for us to be kind in the media these days. When I did our church sign in December, I wrote: This Christmas let kindness be our gift to the world. Instead of changing it in January, we just removed the words , This Christmas. There it will stay for a while longer. It seems to be a reminder the world needs right now.
Prayer: Gracious God, May our example of kindness help others to be kind also. Amen
Ephesians 4:31-32
Living with intention rather than simply going through life governed by the natural tendencies of our sinful nature seems to be Paul’s point in this passage. A focus on being kind, compassionate and forgiving simply does not allow room
in one’s heart for bitterness, rage and anger. There are no mental health professionals out there offering compassion management training. Anger can come over us so easily, but compassion needs to be practiced and cultivated. Compare it to tending the garden. Just letting things go naturally results in a tangle of inedible weeds. A little time daily dedicated to weed and feed yields enough not only for oneself, but to also share with others.
Prayer - God of compassion,…