Verse: 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.
Devotion
At a glance, this list feels pretty doable, reasonable. Easy even. After all, it’s just a “be nice” list, isn’t it? Well I may not be brawling, raging, or making up negative stories about anyone, but how about the rest of it? Where does my heart line up? Are there times when it lines upon the bitterness and anger side? Well, of course, I am human. There are times. But what do I choose to embrace, where do I sit and stay? These are the questions I am asking myself as I read through this couple of verses.
If I have a tendency to wallow in bitterness or maybe even irritation, what can I do to change that? Assuming I want to change it. Let’s be honest, sometimes I just want to sit there! I feel entitled to it. I deserve it, I have been injured. I must vent, and vent some more! And mull it over! But with all this talk about forgiveness, all this pointing to the generosity and grace that is lavished upon us, and it’s hard to hold on to whatever it was that got me bent out of shape in the first place. But it requires being willing to let go, often multiple times, when I may realize that as much as I thought I forgave, sometimes things can resurface. We have to keep on choosing.
Prayer:
Lord, give me a soft heart, and a desire to be like you! Amen
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