The Upper Room Devotion for Monday, March 4, 2024, was written by Rhonda Thomas of Maryland.
Scripture
25 "And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses."
Mark 11:25-26 NKJV
Author's Thoughts
I inherited a family feud that had been going on for over 50 years. It was a battle over land, passed down from generation to generation. It's called "heir property," and it can be messy when everyone wants the same lot. During court preparations, I received a court document that upset me to the point of anger. I wanted to retaliate with words of my own. My mind was racing with all I wanted to say.
Anger is not a fruit of the Spirit, and I needed a listening ear. I called a friend and explained the situation. Honestly, I wanted to hear my friend say, "She did what?" thus adding fuel to my fire. But instead, my spiritual sister asked, "Have you prayed for her? What's her name?" And so we prayed. What a revelation! Prayer changed my entire focus, and I began to call out my cousin's name in my daily prayers.
As it turned out, court was avoided, and God brought a 50-year feud to an end with a compromise. I gained more than land that day; I gained a new perspective, which led me to apologize. Prayers for the people in our conflicts take our mind off the anger and hurt and put our focus on a new life in Christ for all involved.
Pastor Anthony's Thoughts
Friends,
As people of faith, the way we deal with conflict is an important berometer of our spiritual maturity. Christ has not called us never to be angry, rather that we do not make matters worse in our anger. It can be easy to escalate a conflict, especially when we are the agrieved party. Yet, our scripture reminds us that Christ charges us to forgive those who have wronged us and to seek the forgiveness of those we have wronged. May we all wrestle with Christ's call to forgive that "our Father in heaven may also forgive us our trespasses. Mark 11:25b"
Author's Prayer
Dear Lord, thank you for forgiving us. Help us to forgive others as you have forgiven us. Amen.
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