Things NOT Beyond Our Control

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It would be easy and completely understandable for us to focus on the distressing news of the day and all of the complications of life that come from the same. I believe, however, we are called to a higher standard of life and reacting to life's events. Now do not get me wrong, I'm not trying to say to ignore our current situation. What I do want to provide, however, is a challenge for us in how we react and respond to the news of the day and the crisis as a whole.

To establish a base for this discussion, let's take a moment to hear from Paul's letter to the Ephesians chapter four, verses 29 through 32, which are as follows,

"Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up as there is need so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God with what you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander together with all malice and be kind to one another tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God and Christ has forgiven you."

Just a few things to think about in these, as we reflect upon these words from Paul:

First thing I think we need to understand is look rare is the person that is not undergoing some sort of stress and strain at this time. It can be easy based off the mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, and psychological exhaustion to have a short fuse, to be less than charitable, to be rude and irritable. And yet, Paul was reminding the church at Ephesus and by extension us, to realize we have been given the gift of speech to build up one another, to give grace to one another. Another thing to keep in mind is that understanding we can only control our reactions and responses to this crisis and the daily annoyances that result from the same. What if we were as passionate about giving grace and peace to each other, to build up one another as we are about finding things like hand sanitizer, toilet paper, a loaf of bread. That leads into our third thing to remember today, let's be careful to ask ourselves and I mean really, honestly ask ourselves, not "Well, I wish," but let's take a moment for full honesty and transparency with ourselves.

Let's be careful to ask ourselves if we are bitter, are we full of wrath and anger? And if we are, let's ask ourselves, how is that helping us? How is that helping others? How is that glorifying God? Along with that, let's be careful to ask ourselves if we are people who speak in slanderous tones, are we people who carry a malice in our hearts? If not in our words and deeds. And let's ask ourselves how that is helping us helping others, and or glorifying God. While we cannot change a lot of things in life, maybe we can use this crisis and our self awareness of the stress this crisis is causing us to be kind, to be tenderhearted to one another. And let's see if we cannot at least transform our circle of influence by forgiving one another. After all God forgave us in Christ not because we earned it, but out of love.

My friends, as you go into the rest of the day, as you go into the rest of the week, I want to invite you to take the opportunity to heed these words of advice the Ephesians heard almost 2000 years ago, and we hear today as we eavesdrop on that conversation between Paul and the church. We can't control many things, but we can use the influence we have to bring joy and peace through grace and mercy. Following the example, given us by God and Christ that is sustained in us now by the Holy Spirit.