Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: 27 Neither give place to the devil. 31 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: 32 And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.
The peaceful resolution of domestic disputes is an area of concern that needs to be addressed in families across the nation, both Christian and non-Christian. In our passage for today the Bible gives us some ground rules of engagement, which if we were to adopt and follow, will make reconciliation much more easy than it usually is. To begin with, being angry is no premise for sinning, for even though we may have become upset at what our spouse or children have done, yet we are to always keep our cool, by denying self the urge to blurt out a flurry of unbecoming words that we will regret later. Furthermore, the bible teaches us that bitterness and all anger should be resolutely put away from us, being detrimental to physical, mental, and spiritual health. Let's read:
Proverbs 16:32 He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.
Proverbs 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.
A good discipline to incorporate into our daily experiences with close family members is to refrain from speaking hastily when insulted or disrespected in any way. At times such as these it's always better to remain silent, rather than pour out a torrent of unbecoming words that wound and irk the soul. This calls for prayer and self-denial that can only be exercised by the renewing power of The Holy Spirit dwelling within our hearts, and is especially needed when dealing with children who have the habit of answering back parents. We are often tempted to grab the nearest object and hurl it at the disrespectful child, but any disciplinary action that is taken in haste or anger is usually productive of greater evil, and should be avoided at all costs.
Another element that should be introduced into our family relations is the willingness to forgive "Quickly", and to forget any hurt that may have been done to our spouse, children, or to ourselves. Some of us do forgive, but it sometimes takes too long, for there are instances where a wife may have forgiven her husband for infidelity, or vice versa, but the forgiving process took many many years. Now, if God were to deal with us in the same currency when we commit grievous sins against Him, we might die before being forgiven, after which it will be of no use. Both husbands and wives should be eager to forgive and move on, for The God whom we serve delights in mercy, and wants nothing more than the speedy restoration of any broken relationships. This is what Christ did with Peter, after he had publicly denied being a Christian with swearing and cursing, which wounded the cause of Christ. Let's read:
John 21:15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
It would be well, if instead of hearing curse words and hasty speeches coming through the windows, we could hear these timeless words, "Lovest thou me" as were spoken by Christ to the erring Peter. In all of our interactions with aunts, uncles, in-laws and outlaws, let us always remember the example of Christ who not only forgave Peter, but also sought his immediate restoration. We therefore end with a passage of scripture which encourages the peaceful resolution of difficulties within the family circle, and God's blessings of pardon and peace will attend us on our way. Let's read:
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
May The Lord add his blessing to the study and practice of His every word. God bless!