Putting Away Falsehood
So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth of our neighbors,
for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun
go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up
stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as
to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your
mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your
words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of
God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away
from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together
with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. Therefore be imitators of God, as
beloved children,
When we or someone we love has been
hurt, thoughts of revenge dominate our minds. We want
to get even. Just remember it is not for us to get even. God has His own way to
deal with people. Our job, to the best of our God-given abilities, is to
forgive.
Forgiveness is not forgetting,
excusing, or smoothing things over. Instead, forgiving breaks the cycle of
revenge. Forgiving is love’s toughest work, and love’s biggest risk. To forgive
is to dance to the beat of God’s forgiving heart. It is to ride the crest of
love’s strongest wave.
Revenge
imprisons us; forgiveness sets us free.
Our Daily
Bread –