Verse from Proverbs

“A fool always loses his temper, But a wise man holds it back.”

‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭29:11‬ ‭

Our anger is often wrapped around a bundle of lies: “I deserve better than this.” “God isn’t enough after all.” “Nobody cares anyway.” When we choose to cling to our anger, we become mired in the trap of bitterness, never moving forward. And the only cure for anger is truth.

The truth is that God does not give us what we deserve; He gives us mercy instead. “You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you” (Ps. 86:5). The truth is that God is more than enough, despite what we see. The truth is that His strength is sufficient (2 Cor. 12:9). Yet before we can find such reassurance, we may need to step back, lay down the shovel of our own efforts, and take Jesus’ hand that’s extended to us in mercy and grace.

God is big enough to listen to our anger and loving enough to show us, in His time, the path forward.

Verse from Haggai

My Spirit remains among you. Do not fear. Haggai 2:5

The governor of Judah had been called by God to lead the Israelites in rebuilding the temple after captivity in Babylon. When they’d laid the foundation, “many . . . who had seen the former temple, wept aloud” (Ezra 3:12). The memory of Solomon’s glorious temple lingered again now, as construction of a smaller structure resumed. Ours isn’t as good, everyone, including Zerubbabel, must’ve thought. 

“But now be strong, Zerubbabel,” God said, as He did to all involved: “I am with you . . . my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear” (Haggai 2:4-5). Zerubbabel could take heart in God’s guiding presence, bound by His covenant with them (v. 5). Also, “The glory of this present house will be greater,” God said (v. 9), pointing to when Jesus Himself would visit the temple (John 2:13-25). 

We may feel discouraged in a task God calls us to do, comparing our results with those of another season. Let’s focus on His plan for this season, because the work and its purpose are His, not our own.

Verse from Matthew

Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:3

Companion passages in Mark 9:33-37 and Luke 9:46-48 shed light on today’s Bible reading from Matthew 18:1-4. Jesus and His disciples had been traveling to Capernaum on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. When they arrived, Christ asked them, “What were you arguing about on the road?” (Mark 9:33). 

His question was merely rhetorical. He knew full well what they’d been discussing. Mark tells us that “they had argued about who was the greatest” (v. 34). In so doing, the disciples showed how badly they misunderstood what Jesus’ kingdom was about. Hence, they asked an unhelpful question: “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” (Matthew 18:1). It was then that Christ “called a little child to him” (v. 2). Children wielded neither the power nor the influence the disciples valued and sought. 

Jesus’ mission inverts our natural understanding of what’s important. He calls and helps believers in Him to be humble, like little children (vv. 3-5).

Verse from 1 John

“If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭1:8‬ ‭

Dr. Brian Goldman obsessively tried to be perfect in treating his patients. But on a nationally broadcast show he admitted to mistakes he had made. He revealed that he had treated a woman in the emergency room and then made the decision to discharge her. 

Later that day a nurse asked him, “Do you remember that patient you sent home? Well, she’s back.” The patient had been readmitted to the hospital and then died. This devastated him. He tried even harder to be perfect, only to learn the obvious: Perfection is impossible.

As Christians, we may harbor unrealistic expectations of perfection for ourselves. But even if we can somehow manage the appearance of a flawless life, our thoughts and motives are never completely pure.

John the disciple wrote, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). The remedy is not to hide our sins and to strive harder, but to step into the light of God’s truth and confess them. “If we walk in the light,” said John, “as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin” (v. 7).

In medicine, Dr. Goldman proposes the idea of a “redefined physician” who—in a culture where we are hesitant to admit our errors—no longer toils under the tyranny of perfection. Such a physician openly shares mistakes and supports colleagues who do the same, with a goal of reducing mistakes.

What if Christians were known not for hiding their sins but for loving and supporting each other with the truth and grace of our God? What if we practiced a risky yet healthy honesty with each other and with the watching world?

Honesty with God about our sin brings forgiveness.