Grace in the GraySample

THE MOST DANGEROUS INCH OF SPACE

In Ephesians 4, Paul writes: “Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold” (Ephesians 4:26–27). The Greek word be­hind foothold in the NIV translation is topos. Elsewhere throughout the New Testament, this word is translated as place, locality, and opportunity.

Opportunity is the word used in the ESV translation. Isn’t that an interesting term to use? Don’t give the devil an opportunity. Don’t give him a chance. Don’t give him a place. Don’t give him a location. I think you could go further in English and say, “Don’t give the devil an inch.”

As far as I can tell, the most dangerous inch of space you can give the devil is the one you give to bitterness. Growing up in church, I never would have put bitter­ness at the top of the “things that will keep me from being for­given” list. I would have said “the love of money.” I would have said “doing drugs,” or, honestly, I probably would have said “kiss­ing my girlfriend.” I would have listed a hundred different things before I would have said “bitterness.”

But it’s right there, plain as day. Right after the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus lays it out. “If you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your tres­passes” (Matthew 6:14–15).

This is astonishing. Think about the disciples hearing this for the first time. The Jews were experiencing persecution. Their land had been taken from them. They were paying exorbitant taxes. They were being wrongfully and woefully ruled by Rome.

Can you imagine their faces when Jesus said He wouldn’t forgive the unforgiving? He didn’t list any other vice here. He didn’t mention anything else they might have done or experi­enced.

Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:18 that we have been given the “ministry of reconciliation.” We are here to receive God’s forgiveness and let others know they are forgiven. End of story. That’s our ministry. That’s what we’re doing here.

We’re not here to be right.

We’re here to reconcile.

Lord, show me relationships or encounters in which I am trying to be right rather than give and receive grace. Amen.