After a long busy weekend offline looking for our next devotional to review today, I discovered this one titled “Anger Free Dad” by Manhood Journey which provides excellent resources for and to dads. Its description caught my attention and resonated with me when it says: “No dad wants to get angry.” “We want to raise our kids well, but fatherhood has its share of “anger land mines!”” “When we’re not on our guard, sometimes the smallest misstep can cause us to explode into anger.” And calls out to us as dads to be the dads “who aim to overcome anger“. If you are a dad who wants to be able to live your “life of peace and joy” then let’s dig in and learn how we are the dads who “can be an anger-free dad—in Christ“!
God’s Word from today’s Devotional:
‘ For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, ‘
Matthew 6:14
‘And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.” ‘
Mark 11:25
God’s Word is so amazing! All scripture is God-breathed! So let’s make sure we stay connected to God’s Word every day of our lives!
I still remember hearing the words that day as I was driving and having just come to the point of realizing that I needed to forgive others who had hurt me in my life. And after processing forgiving them what came to my mind were the words “as you forgive others, I will forgive you“.
I learned through the process that allowing a bitter seed to take root isn’t the way to go and that it is important to forgive before that seed can hit the ground. I learned the importance of asking for forgiveness when I mess up too. So by preventing bitterness from taking root in our hearts, we would get to avoid the pain and suffering of anger, bitterness, frustration, sadness, and depression. So let’s choose to forgive so that we aren’t carrying a burden God never intended for us to carry and so that as we forgive others He will also forgive us! And like I said to conclude my story slam on forgiveness, “unforgiveness is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die, it doesn’t work”!
Today’s devotional has been provided by Manhood Journey.
Reading through today’s devotional, here are some takeaways for me: (check out the devotional on your own too to see if you pick up other nuggets, and please share your findings in the comments)
For more information, please visit https://manhoodjourney.org/anger-free-dad/.
Takeaways from Today’s Devotional:
“The Poison of Unforgiveness“
- Let’s be the dads who aren’t easy to receive forgiveness and struggle to give forgiveness!
- Let’s be the dads who are thankful for God’s forgiveness and so give forgiveness freely!
- Let’s be the dads who emulate our Heavenly Father who forgives us and choose to forgive others!
- Let’s be the dads who freely give forgiveness just like our Heavenly Father freely gives to us!
- Let’s be the dads who can give forgiveness as easily as we receive it!
- Let’s be the dads who forgive so that there is room for God to be able to forgive us!
- Let’s be the dads who remove any unforgiveness and bitterness to make room for love and forgiveness!
- Let’s be the dads who check our hearts to make sure we aren’t allowing any bitterness to fester or take root!
- Let’s be the dads who check our hearts for “unforgiveness toward a family member or friend who owes you money“!
- Let’s be the dads who check our hearts for “unforgiveness toward an individual who wronged you years ago“!
- Let’s be the dads who check our hearts for “unforgiveness toward your own father or mother who dropped the ball“!
- Let’s be the dads who check our hearts for “unforgiveness toward a co-worker who was out of line or took credit for your work“!
- Let’s be the dads who check our hearts for “unforgiveness toward a child who disrespected you“!
- Let’s be the dads who check our hearts for “unforgiveness toward your spouse“!
- Let’s be the dads who “Make no excuses for unforgiveness. Just forgive.“!
- Let’s be the dads who realize that forgiveness doesn’t mean what they did is ok but that unforgiveness is a poison we don’t want to allow in our lives for we know that forgiveness is for our health!
- Let’s be the dads who realize that forgiving someone “doesn’t mean what the other person did was OK, but it does mean you will no longer hold it against him“!
- Let’s be the dads who remember “God did not excuse our sin, but because Christ paid the penalty for our sin and forgave us, He does not hold our sin against us“!
- Let’s be the dads who forgive and live with a forgiving spirit!
- Let’s be the dads who know the benefit of forgiveness!
- Let’s be the dads who break free from the grip that “anger, resentment, and bitterness” by forgiving!
- Let’s be the dads who live our lives with God’s freedom because we know that “God gives you freedom from anger when you forgive“!
- Let’s be the dads who desire and choose to live our lives as anger-free dads!
- Today’s devotional closes with this instruction:
- Today’s devotional closes with this challenge:
