“Keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:3 Our pasts are places of reference, not places of residence. Once we have made amends, righted wrongs, and learned lessons, it is time to move on. How do we reconcile with others in the here and now? Make amends. If our homes...
Be ye kind . . . forgiving one another. Ephesians 4:32 Once we receive God’s forgiveness (vertical forgiveness), we can tear down walls between us and others (horizontal forgiveness). Resentment is a peace taker, but forgiveness is a peacemaker. It is always more rewarding to resolve a relationship than to dissolve a relationship. Our forgiveness...
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: . . . forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31–32 C. S. Lewis wrote that “forgiveness is a lovely idea, until you have something to forgive.” Yet forgiveness...
As we forgive our debtors . . . Matthew 6:12 The first three requests in the model prayer are all Godward. They involve God’s name, God’s kingdom, and God’s will. In the rest of the prayer, we are instructed to pray about our concerns. First is daily bread, and then comes the matter of our...