Devotion:
Read Ephesians 4:29-32.
One year from today, our nation will elect many of our national leaders, including our next president. Election years have always been a time of heated debate and rhetoric, but that has “ramped up” to a whole new level in the past several elections. Our country is polarized, too often focused on how we disagree than how we are unified. We don’t know how to disagree without being disagreeable. People are ugly, mean and hateful to each other.
The saddest part of all of that is too often, people acting this way are people who claim to be Christians, followers and representatives of Jesus Christ, the One who specifically taught “Love your enemies.” These verses speak of “grieving the Holy Spirit.” We can be sure that we do just that when we treat other people in a way not related to Christ.
The writer of the letter to the Ephesians obviously felt inspired and compelled to include these words of guidance for the Christians of his day. And they are so needed in our day: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths….” I am confident he would add today “...or be posted by you on social media.” “Get rid of all bitterness ... anger ... slander …. Be kind and compassionate to one another…”
We are going to need a higher power than ourselves in order to live that way during the next year. So I invite you to read these verses at least once a week (if not every day) for the next year and pray that God will help you live by them. May we be a light of Christ’s grace, peace and love shining into a world of darkness.
Personal Worship Option:
An old children’s chorus says “This little light of mine; I’m gonna let it shine.” Offer a prayer of commitment to living this light of Christ in the next 365 days. It may seem little at times, but any light still shines in the darkness.
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