For Husband and Wife ( Day 7 of 18 )
JUST SHARING (from the “Couple’s Devotional Bible”)
This article’s author: Lewis Smedes
Bible Passage: Psalm 30:1-12
Key Verse: Psalm 30:5
“For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime.”
When forgiveness is necessary, don’t wait too long. We must begin to forgive, because without forgiving, we choke off our own joy; we kill our own soul. People carrying hate and resentment can invest themselves so deeply in that resentment that they gradually define themselves in terms of it.
The longer you wait, the more you risk becoming a person defined by your anger, rather than simply a person who has a grievance. The offense and the resultant anger begin to possess you, until your identity is practically demonized by resentment.
So, when forgiveness is truly necessary, forgive as quickly as you can, because forgiving has two good results: The first is your own release, and the second is the possibility of reconciliation between you and your mate.
MARRIAGE BUILDERS
• Have you ever known a person whose anger was his or her defining characteristic? How was that person’s anger a handicap to him or her?
• What difference would “quick” forgiveness make in the atmosphere of your home?
Additional Scripture Readings: Matthew 5:23-26; Ephesians 4:26, 32
