Peace from Forgiveness
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32)
Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy once said, “Let us forgive each other – only then will we live in peace.” Forgiveness, which means to release, to dismiss, or to let go is the required remedy for a heart that has been made cold and callous by the hurts, heartaches, and disappointments of life.
I’m sure you know what it’s like to have someone hurt you, betray you, cheat on you, lie to you, or talk about you behind your back. You understand the feeling of your heart being taken over by bitterness and your mind consumed with revenge because the pain of betrayal seems like it just won’t go away.
But Tolstoy was right. Forgiveness is the gateway to living in peace, and when we do not forgive, our faith is corroded, our hearts are hardened, and our peace is robbed. But the question we must wrestle with in light of today’s key passage is whether there is an answer for a heart that has been overtaken by unforgiveness.
This is where Paul’s letter to the Ephesians comes in. Paul knew exactly what it was like to be tempted to harbor unforgiveness. He had been treated so unfairly and unjustly for the sake of the Gospel, and yet he lived with a forgiving heart so that he could experience peace rather than be dominated by bitterness. In doing so, he was able to encourage the Ephesians then and us now to rid ourselves of anger, malice, and bitterness through the avenue of forgiveness.
With that in mind, have you been harboring anger towards someone who hurt you? Have you been robbed of your peace because you’re having trouble forgiving someone who sinned against you? If so, I urge you to ask the Lord to help you forgive this person. Pray that the Lord would replace your bitterness with peace, and watch how He redeems your circumstances and restores your heart and your attitude.
Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy once said, “Let us forgive each other – only then will we live in peace.” Forgiveness, which means to release, to dismiss, or to let go is the required remedy for a heart that has been made cold and callous by the hurts, heartaches, and disappointments of life.
I’m sure you know what it’s like to have someone hurt you, betray you, cheat on you, lie to you, or talk about you behind your back. You understand the feeling of your heart being taken over by bitterness and your mind consumed with revenge because the pain of betrayal seems like it just won’t go away.
But Tolstoy was right. Forgiveness is the gateway to living in peace, and when we do not forgive, our faith is corroded, our hearts are hardened, and our peace is robbed. But the question we must wrestle with in light of today’s key passage is whether there is an answer for a heart that has been overtaken by unforgiveness.
This is where Paul’s letter to the Ephesians comes in. Paul knew exactly what it was like to be tempted to harbor unforgiveness. He had been treated so unfairly and unjustly for the sake of the Gospel, and yet he lived with a forgiving heart so that he could experience peace rather than be dominated by bitterness. In doing so, he was able to encourage the Ephesians then and us now to rid ourselves of anger, malice, and bitterness through the avenue of forgiveness.
With that in mind, have you been harboring anger towards someone who hurt you? Have you been robbed of your peace because you’re having trouble forgiving someone who sinned against you? If so, I urge you to ask the Lord to help you forgive this person. Pray that the Lord would replace your bitterness with peace, and watch how He redeems your circumstances and restores your heart and your attitude.
Subscribe Now for Free Daily Devotions
Recent
Archive
2026
January
When God Feels Silent but is Still at WorkHow to Rebound After a Crushing LetdownWhen Your World Falls Apart After You Did Everything RightGod Is Still Building Roads in the DesertThe Chapter That Comes After TraumaWhen Hope Feels GoneWhen Your Words Start Working Against YouGod’s Resume Is Bigger Than Your SituationWaiting on God is Not Doing NothingBefore Circumstances ChangeGetting In Your Bag When Life Feels UnfairWinning With a Bad HandOverlooked, Insulted, and Still ChosenPrepared in the Field Before the Giant AppearsYou Were Trained for This MomentTaking Off Armor That Does Not FitFormed in the Field, Not on the StageWhen the Battle Is Not Actually YoursWhen You Feel the Urge to Go Through God’s PhoneFaith After Disappointment Still CountsKeep Showing Up Even When You Are ConfusedLocked Doors Do Not Stop JesusWhen You Need an Encounter for YourselfDoubt as a DoorwaySaying What Hurts When God Is in the RoomWhere Faith and Fear CollideShutdown Does Not Mean FinishedWhen Opposition Shows Up Mid-ProgressBuilding Without Responding to the MockeryA Mind to Work in the Middle of WearinessThe Wall Rose Because the People Did Not Quit
February
When Faith Blocks the ViewThe Cost of Carrying the CrossPower Was Never the PointGod Meets You Where You AreFaith That Chooses People Over ProfitWhen the Cross Loses Its MeaningClearing the View So Christ Can Be SeenWhen Worry Becomes a Way of LifeGod Is Not Surprised by Bad LeadershipWhen God Writes on the WallGod Controls the ClockGod Is Watching the ScaleWhen God Writes the EndingYou Do Not Have to Carry This AloneWhen Life Feels Like a JungleWhat You Are Leaning On MattersPeace Comes From the InsideRemember What God Has Already DoneProtecting Your Peace on PurposeWhen You Have to Say It Out LoudTrust Is a Long GameWhen Joy Breaks ContainmentGod Shows Up in Hard SeasonsKeep Moving When Everything Says StopGet Ready for What You Are Praying ForFaith That Is Willing to WorkWorship Is How We Acknowledge God’s HandDarkness Does Not Decide the Outcome
2025
January
Plenty of RoomThankful for Your SeatWho God Invites to the TableThat’s the PointWe Do Not Have a Monopoly on GodStop Talking So LoudLet God Handle the Guest ListA Long-Awaited ReunionSeeing Jesus for YourselfIn Possession of a Personal PromiseGet in the Right PositionReady to ReceiveAligning Your Life for God's PromiseWaiting with ExpectancyGrounded in PrayerStrength in PrayerPatience Through PrayerStay Focused Through PrayerGod's Conditional PromisesGod’s PriorityGrounded in FaithTrusting God's TimingThe Assurance of God's PromisesIs It Well With Your Soul?Health vs. HealingStewarding Your BodyA Holistic View of SpiritualityGod Cares About Your BodyWhat You Put in MattersNourishing Your SoulThe Power of Prevention
No Comments