Thursday, September 26

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2013

Isaiah 48:12–50:11

Ephesians 4:17–32

Psalm 69:1–18

Proverbs 25:5,6

 

 

“As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.  Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.” (Ephesians 4:1–3)

 

The readings from Ephesians 4 have imparted some fantastic principles for our daily walk with Christ and our interactions with other people.  Given that the combined influence of the evil one, the world, and our sinful natures, our human relationships naturally tend towards disorder and disharmony.  Only through the sustaining work of the Holy Spirit may we confidently find unity and joy in our relationships, but, even then, we must will our hearts to look to others’ interests above our own. (Philippians 2:1–4)

 

Please note the multi-faceted attitude required for unity:  humility, gentleness, and bearing with one another in love.  Humility allows us to view ourselves with the proper perspective and in the proper priority, while gentleness will become reflected in our attitude:  whether kindly or ornery.  “Bearing with one another in love” speaks to patience and longsuffering, treating others with the same long-term attitude that we sense in God Himself.

 

 

“Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.  From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:15,16)

 

“Speaking the truth in love.”  These words echo a similar sentiment as found in John 1:14, which describes the Lord Jesus Christ:  “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  In Christ, we find a Savior Who spoke the truth in love.

 

If we err on the side of the truth without love, we find harshness and destructive criticism.  The recipients will “turn off” before the message has even come, and the message ultimately fails.

 

Likewise, a transmission failure emerges when we speak in love but not truth.  Many times, we avoid sharing an important truth for fear of hurting another person.  We may sugar-coat the message or avoid sharing it altogether.  Again, the recipient loses out because the truth remains veiled.

 

The middle-ground approach involves remembering the context and the recipient, reflecting on how best to present the message in love, and rigorously sticking to the truth.  It requires prayer, preparation, and grace – both from God and to oneself.  Sharing such important messages often proves emotionally and spiritually taxing.  Yet, if we shy away from these opportunities, we will miss out on providing a significant blessing.

 

 

“’In your anger do not sin.’  Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.” (Ephesians 4:26,27)

 

One great truism that has proven true in my experience:  “We often think that we hold a grudge, but we later realize that the grudge was holding us:  back from moving ahead and down from breathing freely.”

 

Two quotes on unforgiveness:

 

1.       “A life lived without forgiveness is a prison.” (William Arthur Ward)

2.       “Not forgiving is like drinking rat poison and then waiting for the rat to die.” (Anne Lamott)

 

 

Whom may you consider forgiving right now?  How would addressing your hurt through surrendering the situation to God bring release today?  How may you consistently apply this principle daily?  How may you become more intentional in approaching conflict resolution?  Please seek escape from the prison of unforgiveness!

 

 

“Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  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 4:29–32)

 

Here again, Paul forwards the concept of others-mindedness, urging his readers to consider the recipient’s response to the message.  How often do we honestly weigh whether our words will “benefit those who listen”?  In our eagerness to “be heard,” we may fail to filter or assess the value of our words. 

 

A great lesson lies within these verses:  our interactions with others reflect strongly on our relationship with God.  Our sinfulness will “grieve the Holy Spirit of God,” pointing out that He shows emotions as with the Father and the Son and highlighting how we may thereby injure the Person of the Trinity Who has taken residence in the heart of each believer (“sealed for the day of redemption”).  Furthermore, we offer forgiveness to our brothers and sisters as a sign of our gratefulness and recognition of our ongoing need for grace.

 

 

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your intervention on our behalf.  We seek to honor You through our words, actions, and attitudes, particularly as displayed through our relationships with others.  Allow our conversation to be full of grace and truth, seasoned with salt.  Give us Your heart of compassion and the depth of Your compassion.  In Your Name, we pray.  Amen.

 

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