“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph 4:31–32)

Wrath, Anger, Slander

In the political and corporate world, secular leadership means to win at all times and often at the expense of others. But we are not called to counter attack with equal or more powerful forces when we are met with attack or slander.

As Christian leaders, we must not allow our pride and self-interests to take control of us. Father Terence Pereira reminds us that not retaliating “an eye for an eye” distinguishes a practising Christian from another.

What happens if we find ourselves under attack? 

We have to ask if our heart is in the right place. When we are focused on God our father and on the mission he has given to us, and our heart is for the good of people, God will provide the grace to lead his people. If our heart is not in the right place, then we will be concerned with whom we appear more powerful and more concerned with work so that we can be highly regarded and popular.

Struggling with forgiveness

Willingly is not the same thing as easily. In these conflicting moments, when we experience hurt, we may tend to be unwilling to forgive and will also find it difficult to forget.

Forgiving is a virtue.

Forgetting could be a gift (the next time someone tells you that you are forgetful, tell them it is a gift to forget!)  But when we can remember and choose to forgive each time, we become more virtuous and closer to whom God made us to be.

Where does forgiveness come from?

Forgiveness comes from only a place of love. The next time we find ourselves unwilling to forgive, this is an indicator that we are running low in the love department. We pray for forgiveness from a place of strength that only our God our father, who is love, can fuel us with.

Lord, help us to exercise restraint, compassion, patience and forgiveness, leaving judgment only to you. Help us to forgive offenses willingly and give us the gift of forgetting hurts! Lord I trust in you.

By Julianne Danielle Lim