Release the chains that bind you.

Ephesians 4:31-32"Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

Are you imprisoned? You may not be literally behind bars, but you might still feel like a prisoner of negative emotions. Today’s passage begins by warning us to rid ourselves of those bad feelings, attitudes, and all forms of evil. It then instructs us to be kind and compassionate to one another, offering forgiveness just as God, by His grace, forgave us in Christ.

Forgiveness not only serves to free us from the pain and bitterness towards those who have wronged us, but it can also free the person who imprisoned us. It’s like a double-edged sword: on one hand, it frees us from bitterness and vengeful attitudes, and on the other hand, in love, it extinguishes the offense of those who hurt us by breaking their chains. Release forgiveness, and you will no longer feel pain or resentment for the wrong someone did to you.

Decide to forgive today:

• Understand that people need forgiveness. Jesus Christ forgives us because we all

  
  

  

  
  

  have flaws.

• Decide to forgive, regardless of the emotions telling you otherwise. Forgiveness is a decision, not a feeling.

• Pray to God, naming the people you wish to forgive.

• Free yourself from resentment! Do not reproach the person for what they did or try to take revenge. Just forgive.

• Find strength and encouragement in the Word of God.

• Place those who wronged you in the Lord’s hands. The one who hurt you also needs to receive God’s forgiveness.

Prayer:

Lord my God, I want to be free from feelings of bitterness and negative attitudes toward those who have hurt me. Help me not to be in conflict with others and to let go of the pain, resentment, and vengeance. Forgive me for the times I have failed, grieving You and others. Teach me to forgive and release those who have hurt me, just as You have forgiven me in Christ. Amen.