Morning Devotional 122321 No More Walls

Liz’s Morning Devotional based upon Upper Room

December 23, 2021

Read Ephesians 4:25-32

25 Therefore, after you have gotten rid of lying, Each of you must tell the truth to your neighbor because we are parts of each other in the same body. 26 Be angry without sinning. Don’t let the sun set on your anger. 27 Don’t provide an opportunity for the devil. 28 Thieves should no longer steal. Instead, they should go to work, using their hands to do good so that they will have something to share with whoever is in need. 29 Don’t let any foul words come out of your mouth. Only say what is helpful when it is needed for building up the community so that it benefits those who hear what you say. 30 Don’t make the Holy Spirit of God unhappy—you were sealed by him for the day of redemption. 31 Put aside all bitterness, losing your temper, anger, shouting, and slander, along with every other evil. 32 Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other, in the same way God forgave you in Christ.

Good Morning! Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other!

What the world needs now is love, sweet love! In this passage, we are reminded once again of our calling to love God with all our hearts, soul, strength, and mind and to love our neighbor as ourselves.

I think many of us have noticed or commented on the movement away from God through the pandemic. As we isolated ourselves from one another, some became so focused on their own needs for survival that they became unaware of the needs of others. For example, when the stores were suddenly unable to keep certain items of need stocked on their shelves. It wasn’t a problem that there wasn’t enough for everyone to take care of the needs of their family. It was a problem that many became hoarders and purchased so much that the economy was unable to meet the unrealistic demands.

Today, almost two years later, we still see evidence of the me-first attitude in shopping, but more importantly, we see this attitude in how people treat others in every aspect of their lives. We seemingly forgot how to live in a community as a family where we worked together in harmony to love and support one another.

When we were pushed into our homes, we could have used the time to strengthen our relationship with God, but evidence suggests that instead, many used the time to build walls to separate themselves from the community of faith. Over time, the space from their separation grows and they give evil new space in which to work. In this environment, we become cynical and only see the problems around us.

God is right here, reaching out to remove the gap that is separating us. To start, we must choose to reengage with others as one family. Next, we must forgive ourselves and those we alienated. As we read in today’s passage, we must put aside all bitterness, anger, shouting, and slander towards ourselves, our neighbors, and the world. When we remove these things, we have opened space for God’s love to fill us.

32 Be kind, compassionate, and forgiving to each other,

in the same way, God forgave you in Christ.

Creator God, Thank You for loving us. We are struggling to live as a community of faith. Help us to see the joy and love that surrounds us. Thank You. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen

Thought for the day: Forgiving is hard, but God’s grace makes it possible.

Forgive and Live in Christ! Pastor Liz