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. Ephesians 4:31-32 (NIV)
When I saw my devotion assignment, I thought what a coincidence. A good friend of mine gave me a paper bookmark for my bible with these verses on it. Was it a coincidence or a nudging from the Lord?
In Paul’s letter to the church in Ephesus, a church Paul established on his second missionary journey, Paul tells the Ephesians how they should act and think about forgiveness. In verse 31, Paul talks about the opposite of forgiveness: “all bitterness, rage & anger, shouting & slander, with all malice.” These are ways we often react when people hurt us. Satan wants us to hold on to bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander and malice. But God wants you to put these things away. So how do we get rid of it?
As for myself, I know I won’t be able to do it on my own! Only with the power of Christ in my life will I be able to accomplish the task. If we have chosen to make Jesus the Lord of our lives, then we are a new person. Second Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) says: therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here! Forgiveness is part of what it means to become a new person in Christ.
We are able to forgive others, because God has forgiven us. He has given us a new life to live. Living that life involves being renewed. It means becoming more and more what God has made us to be, kind and compassionate to one another. This is not always easy to do and we will have to continually work at it each day. However, with the help of the Lord, we can choose kindness, compassion, and forgiveness for others.
Questions for Reflection:
- Is there a situation in your life where you need to let go of malice and forgive someone?
- How does God’s grace in Christ help you to see you have the power to forgive?
Prayer:
Merciful and forgiving Father, thank you for loving us so much that you gave up your son to save and forgive us. Help us to realize that with your Spirit and power, we really can be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to others. Amen.
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