Today’s Reading is Ephesians 4:29 - 32
29 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. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Well, I know why this is my day to do the blog. I deal with trying to control my tongue and try to say uplifting things to others each and every day. I have expectations for myself, for others and for situations that never seem to match up, then I find myself hurting others with my words spoken out of frustration. We’re called not to hurt, but to love as Jesus loved, to forgive as Jesus forgives. So often when we get in the heat of the moment we start to strike out in our humanness.
As my relationship with the Lord began to grow and I allowed the Spirit to take control of my life, my actions and life began to make a dramatic change for the better. The frustrations that I felt from others “letting me down” began to subside. In fact, the expectations were replaced with acceptance of how people were not how I wanted them to be. I have so much peace now as I let the Spirit lead. Being one with the Spirit and doing as Christ did, not as humans do can make such an impact on a person’s life. We hear this a lot from people that have been through the Alpha course as they open their hearts to be molded by the Spirit.
So as you go through your day, be accepting of people. Love them for who they are, not what you want them to be. Just because they don’t see things from your perspective doesn’t mean they’re wrong. In fact, aren’t we the ones in the wrong when we have expectations and they aren’t met? Maybe if we stop for a minute and pray to let our spirit side come out we wouldn’t strike out and hurt others, but love them. So the next time a driver cuts you off and seems to be in a hurry, say a prayer over them and whatever situation they are hurrying to.
Dave