And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Eph. 4:30-5:2
Merciful Father, mighty Holy Spirit, most compassionate Lord Jesus, I praise you today for the love with which you love us—the love in which you have rooted, by which you are transforming us, and through which you are revealed in our world.
As this Scripture makes clear, it took the whole Trinity to redeem us, and it takes the whole Trinity for us to live this life of love to which you have called us. This is our only hope.
Father, I don’t want to live today just with a theoretical or mere theological awareness of being your dearly loved child. Let it be very real, very encouraging, and very humbling. May your love be the controlling reality in my life today—convicting, liberating, and empowering me.
All day long, let me hear your serenading voice in the gospel, that I might grieve the ways I grieve the Holy Spirit—with my thoughts, words, and actions. Otherwise, I might try to justify the ways I love poorly.
Lord Jesus, you are relentlessly kind, compassionate, and forgiving of us. I want the fragrant aroma of your grace to impact all my relationships. But help me remember you’re not calling me to change or fix anyone, but to accept and serve them.
God the Holy Spirit—you who raised Jesus from the dead, give me the power I will need today to rid myself of all bitterness, anger, rage, brawling, slander, and malice and all the other ways I contradict grace. Indeed, Triune God, the life of love you live for me, please live through me to your glory. So very Amen I pray, in Jesus’ peerless and praise-worthy name.
