Written and delivered at the weekly staff meeting for Faith In Practice.

It’s easy, in our daily lives, for our eyes to wander.

Especially as our jobs and relationships bring us in close proximity with other human beings, who may annoy or wound us. As professed Christians, we can grit our teeth and try to be kind, but inevitably, the little grievances that we pick up throughout our day accumulate. Burdened, we become focused on the lack in our lives and within ourselves. And it is in those moments of weariness, that the temptation to sin with our tongues is great because we lose sight of God’s sovereignty and His promise to right every wrong on our behalf.

Apostle Paul in his letter to the Philippians, asks us to do an interesting thing: "And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

We are deeply affected by the thoughts that we let linger in our mind. So when we dwell on what is pure, lovely and admirable, we are transformed into people that are whole, and able to love unselfishly.

So what is the better solution? To mask the unkindness of our words? To try harder to just hold it all in? Or to forgive, for love holds no record of wrongs and we are to love one another without exception. May our minds be fixated on the goodness of God, and the radiant love He has demonstrated to mankind through the sacrifice of his beloved son, who took on the wrath that our sins deserve. For it is when we dwell on this selfless love and all else that is pure, honorable and worthy of praise, that we become alive with true joy and gratitude.