31 Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. 32 Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
(Ephesians 4)
Walking seems so basic to us in our daily lives, but yesterday I visited two hospital patients who are going to have to "learn to walk again." Spiritually speaking, many of us need to start all over again. Our walk, our lifestyle, is one of anger and retaliation, marked by bitterness, loud outburts, and/or subtle slams behind the back, which bounce off our hard and self-righteous hearts. In our anger, we want to see others falter and fail. We need to stop "walking" that way. Instead, in Christ, following after Him, ours is to be a life of kindness and forgiveness. That's a lot less to remember and stress about. They naturally flow from a tender heart that is receptive to the conviction of the Holy Spirit and responsive to the love and grace of God in Christ. The net results? The difference between throwing stones and pillows - someone (or everyone) getting hurt versus finding ourselves laughing together because the reasons we get so upset are so silly in light of all God has forgiven us. Lord, teach us to walk.
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