Instead

Ephesians 4:32 "Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you." 

Everyone wants to go to heaven. You can have been the worst of people and still at a funeral, we hear it said he's in a better place now. We live in a day and age where its assumed Heaven is a free entry no matter what. But that's not the truth! The truth is, Heaven is reserved for those who receive God's forgiveness through Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Its true Christ has forgiven the world, but most of the world chooses not to receive it.  

You can not experience a great relationship if you allow yourself to hold onto unforgiveness, bitterness, or resentment. Because God is the Creator, we assume that He to is to blame for the chaos that we more than likely created in our own lives.  Think of most of the worries you are going through and trace it back to the source of where it started. Was it because we made a choice somewhere that got us in this position? 

The truth is God has forgiven you, even when you don't deserve it, but his love overlooks our wrong when we receive his forgiveness. Now its so easy to receive Gods forgiveness. Sometimes we even demand it when we do wrong and we say "oh God will forgive me", yet when we are wronged or mistreated instead of showing forgiveness we want to retaliate. We are so good at holding grudges and being rude to make sure the person who we have not forgiven knows we have a problem with them.  Kindness is out the window. Instead of tenderhearted, it is more like hardhearted.  

But we're reminded of the "instead"! Instead of taking matters into your own hands why not give people the exact same thing you require from God.  

Forgive! Instead of being rude be kind.  Instead of being bitter be tenderhearted.  You have the choice to let go of the wrongs others have done towards you without holding it against them, the same way God has done for you.

Thank God he doesn't dangle our sins over our lives in order to make us do things. Thank God he doesn't make us feel guilty! 'Instead' makes us feel free!

So remember this year you have a choice to continue to feel, be, act, treat, and think the way you have in the years past, or start considering and applying the "instead".