Day 31 - GRACE BUSTERS - Bitterness

Ephesians 4:31-32 

PAUSE -
We need his grace daily in order to give grace to others.  Pause to receive fresh mercies as you reflect on His Word.

      Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.

     They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.           Lamentations 3:22-23

REJOICE in His grace today.

      Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being praise his holy name. 

      Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits

      Who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 

      Who redeems your life from the pit.                            Psalm 103:1-4a

Take a few moments to reflect on the “benefits” (expressions of God’s grace) you have received this year, and over your life. What happens within you as you soak in the thought of the great love God has extended to you? Take as much time as you need to offer up praises to him. 

In the Seedbed daily devotional “Wake up Call,” led most often by J.D. Walt, they begin every day with a Consecration declaration:  

      Jesus, I belong to you. 

      I lift up my heart to you. 

      I set my mind on you. 

      I fix my eyes on you.

      I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice.

Now, consider what prevents you from sharing his “benefits” with others, or what barriers contribute to us withholding his grace from others?

READ AND REFLECT on Ephesians 4:31-32

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 in Christ has forgiven you. 

As you read this did an individual, or group, or situation immediately come to mind? 

Do you get angry when you watch the news, scroll through social media posts? 

Is there a relationship that is strained? 

What happens to your heart rate as you think about those with whom you disagree?

In his daily “Wake up Call,” devotional, from May 5, 2025, 
J. D. Walt began with this statement reflecting on Ephesians 4:31-32:

      “Our conflict compromises the mission of Jesus. “ 

      Then he adds: 

      “The effectiveness of our mission to the world is in direct proportion to the quality of our relationships with each other.”

Yesterday I quoted Doug Newton’s definition of Maximum Impact:

As many people as possible having as much evidence as necessary to come to faith and wholeness in Jesus Christ. 

I believe evidence comes through both supernatural and human sources. Ultimately, we all need a divine encounter with the living God, whether it be a powerful encounter through healing or deliverance, or a quiet affirmation from the voice of the Holy Spirit

I also believe that the love of believers expressed in incarnational acts of hospitality and generosity is another critical evidence that draws people to Jesus. 

These two encounters based in the presentation of God’s truth through the Living Word of Scripture combine as the perfect trifecta of transformation. 

So, how we live and love is a critical element of God’s evidence of grace to the world.  As I link Maximum Impact vision with Walt’s reflection on Ephesians 4:31-32, I find this conclusion:

Our conflicts, and our negative attitudes toward others can become the “anti-evidence” which blocks maximum impact. 

REREAD AND REFLECT on Ephesians 4:31-32

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 in Christ has forgiven you. 

What word or impression stands out to you? Read it 2 or 3 times listening for the Spirit’s prompt.

ASK-
Lord, break down the barriers of bitterness, division, and malicious slander in the church and our world. Raise up profound expressions of kindness, tenderness, and a spirit of forgiveness in your Church so that we might have maximum impact in the world. 

YIELD-
Is there a person or situation that comes to mind? Do you need to pray a prayer, make a call, write a note or make a visit to initiate or encourage forgiveness and grace? 

Consider the last phrase in this passage: as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Give thanks again for his benefits read earlier in Psalm 103