Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. (Ephesians 4:29)
What do you think is the greatest goal in an interpersonal relationship? Perhaps it is simply trying to keep that relationship from blowing up! As ominous as that might sound, years of pastoral experience have taught me that so very many relationships do go sour, and the reason for that comes down to one word with three letters: SIN!
None of us has ever experienced a relationship devoid of disappointment, frustration, irritation, sadness, and a myriad of other problems and challenges. I’m sure you see the glaring the problem with the word sin: it is the “I” in the center of it! Sin drives us to make life and our relationships all about us. We want to sit on the throne of our lives, ruling and reigning, rather than submitting to our Lord Jesus. And the result of our sin leaves the landscape of our relationships littered with “land mines.” Sin causes us to want to be right rather than to be loving . . . to be served rather than to serve . . . to blame rather than to forgive . . . to be critical rather than to be understanding . . . to be first rather than to be last. The list of our sins goes on and on. We are all marked by self-absorption, self-rule, and self-centeredness. It’s a wonder any of our relationships survive!
But the good news of the Gospel tells us we have a God who is for us, with us, and in us, and He is committed to helping us work through each relationship. The apostle Paul adds these words to the warning contained in our verse for today, which, when followed, give us all the grace we need for each relationship race and keeps them all from blowing up:
Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 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. (Ephesians 4:30-32)
And if you’re still wondering, “How do I do that?” Paul said it even more simply in his letter to the Corinthians:
Do everything in love. (1 Corinthians 16:14)
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 