The scripture verse that touched me in particular today is –
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
Heavenly Father, I know I need help with being kind…especially in the forgiveness department. Please open my heart to forgive…especially those against whom I’ve harbored grudges or judgment. Help me to speak the truth in love…painstakingly working to speak truth without hurting anyone. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Love is kind…
Since my husband isn’t awake or home at the same time I am, it was easy to do yesterday’s dare to say nothing negative to him. But today I will have to put forth effort into bringing him a cup of coffee when I go to wake him up. It’s not that I’m mad at him or anything like that. It’s just that it requires thought. So, while it’s on my mind, I’d better go make his lunch before I forget.
How much of kindness is actually possible if we just take a few moments to think about what another person might like? How much of it is contemplating how WE would like to be treated and turning the focus to someone else?
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
Heavenly Father, I know I need help with being kind…especially in the forgiveness department. Please open my heart to forgive…especially those against whom I’ve harbored grudges or judgment. Help me to speak the truth in love…painstakingly working to speak truth without hurting anyone. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Love is kind…
Since my husband isn’t awake or home at the same time I am, it was easy to do yesterday’s dare to say nothing negative to him. But today I will have to put forth effort into bringing him a cup of coffee when I go to wake him up. It’s not that I’m mad at him or anything like that. It’s just that it requires thought. So, while it’s on my mind, I’d better go make his lunch before I forget.
How much of kindness is actually possible if we just take a few moments to think about what another person might like? How much of it is contemplating how WE would like to be treated and turning the focus to someone else?
This is now...
To be kind, we must be tender-hearted and forgiving. How do those terms fit together? I’ll tell you. How do you tenderize a piece of meat the old-fashioned way? You pound it to a pulp! I believe that after your heart has been pounded to a pulp, you need to do some forgiving. Am I the only one who’s been here, before?
Is there anything for which I’m withholding forgiveness against my husband? I need to pray that the Lord will release my bad feelings and resentment and replace those feelings with love and compassion.
Papa, replacing ill feelings and deep-set resentment with love and compassion is difficult. Too difficult for me, but not for You. I’m asking you to gouge these harbored bad feelings out of my heart and fill that space with Your love. In Christ’s name. Amen.
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