June 25, 2024

Ephesians 4:25-32 (HCSB)
25 Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. 26 Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and don’t give the Devil an opportunity. 28 The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need. 29 No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear. 30 And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption. 31 All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice. 32 And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ.

Nick Corbin
Here, Paul speaks on a renewed mind, a new sense of thinking. Fire and gasoline have separate practical purposes, but when combined can combust. Just as fire and gasoline, anger and raw emotions have separate practical purposes, but when combined can have deadly consequences. Growing up, I remember my mother teaching a life lesson to apologize and make amends before going to sleep, upon getting in an argument with my sister. Anger is not sin, but it can have deadly potential. Satan loves to pour gasoline on anger. I’ve heard from many brilliant minds to “leave room for the Holy Spirit, when angry.” It all starts in the mind. Upon personal circumstances, dwelling on the emotion of anger made a situation worse. Forgiveness looks different. Sometimes, as children of God, it's forgiving our brother or sister for hitting us, or taking our favorite toy. Other times, forgiveness is a much deeper and traumatic process. It’s harder to have compassion on someone who has wounded you, cut you down, and caused pain or anger. Remembering how we, as humans, treat Jesus, and His kindness remaining is a beautiful picture of His true forgiveness and grace. He has given us the potential to show true forgiveness and grace in our own lives.