Day 29 - March 14

Ephesians 4:26
"Be angry and do not sin"

How do you do this? How do I be angry at something or someone and not sin? There has to be away but I haven't seemed to figure it out yet. Because as soon as I'm upset I want to "vent"... Venting is okay right? Just sharing your feelings with your friend...hmmmm then I speak all of sudden I'm speaking poorly about someone, I slander.

Romans 1:29-31
29They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless.

Look at this list that Paul writes to the Romans. Slander and murder, gossips and haters of God. Oh what a list. When I slander and when gossip leaves my lips I am put into the same list as murders and haters of God. I over look these sins but the truth is that they separate me from God. I can't compare myself to anyone. I can't look at the "bad" person and say I'm good. The only person I can compare myself to is Jesus and compared to him I am like Paul - the chief of all sinners.

And then I remember that Jesus went to the cross. He took my sin, my slander, my gossip, my strife, my foolishness and paid the price. So as I walk through this life I need to take seriously what we would call "little" sins and realize that they are not okay. That I need to take every thought and word captive, even when I am angry, when someone sins against me. I need to offer that same forgiveness to them that Christ gives to me everyday.