SCRIPTURE - 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.
OBSERVATION
Paul writes this passage to encourage the Ephesian church to respond to their hurts with a heart of forgiveness. The believers in Ephesus faced significant persecution and targeted attacks for their faith. It would have been easy for them to let bitterness and anger take root in their hearts. Yet Paul reminds them of their higher calling - to live as Jesus did, extending forgiveness even to those who wronged Him.
APPLICATION
While we may not face organized persecution, we all experience hurts, wrongdoings, and behavior that the world would say justifies our anger. But if Jesus could forgive us for our wrongs - and even forgive those who brutally took His life - we, too, can choose to forgive those who have hurt us.
Forgiveness doesn’t mean that what someone did was acceptable. Instead, it’s a decision to release bitterness before it takes root in your heart. Forgiveness protects your heart from being poisoned by resentment and allows you to reclaim the joy and freedom God desires for your life.Â
God wants you to walk in freedom and to experience the fullness of His forgiveness, which the Bible says cannot happen until we forgive others. Have you been holding onto hurt in your heart, letting resentment and bitterness rob you of joy? Sometimes, we don’t even realize how tightly we’ve been holding onto the pain until we pause and reflect.
PRAYER
Today, take a moment to ask God to show you where you may be holding onto bitterness. Let’s surrender our hurts to Him, trusting that it’s not our job to right the wrongs. Remember, we, too, were in desperate need of forgiveness - and Jesus freely gave it to us.
"God, please reveal any areas in my heart where I’ve been holding onto hurt. (Pause and listen.) Today, I choose to forgive (that person) for (what they did). I ask that you help them experience your love, and I release this burden, no longer carrying it with me. In Jesus’ name, amen."
Lord help me to forgive the way you have forgiven me. This is so hard for me because the betrayal is so hard to forget.
Lord, you call me to forgive seventy seven times and continuously just as You have forgiven me for all my mess ups. Help me to love like You today and to see others through Your eyes. Remove any bitterness in my heart and help me to forgive who I haven’t yet. I never know what someone is truly going through, may I instead pray for those who wrong me and ask for You to move in their lives in whatever their needs are today Jesus. Thank You for loving me, for forgiving me and for teaching me how to extend the same love and forgiveness to others.
This hits home for me today because I have been doing alot of healing and I realized there are areas in my life where I have accepted what has happened but I truly haven't forgiven those people for the hurt they caused my children and I. I'm so blessed to be apart of an amazing church. Thank you God for leading us where we needed to be to grow closer with you. 💜 Have a super blessed day everyone.