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Read: Ephesians 4:25-27
Listen: Ephesians 4

Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. “In your anger do not sin.” Ephesians 4:25-26a

Paul writes to the church in Ephesus with powerful truths for how Christians should relate to one another. In chapters one through three, he has established their new identity in Christ—forgiven, adopted and sealed by the Spirit. Now in chapters four through six, he shows how this new identity shapes daily life. Ephesus is known for conflict and chaos, where the temple of the goddess Artemis towers and people compete for power. Paul calls the church to something visibly different: a community marked by reconciliation rather than retaliation, by peace rather than payback.

When anger flares, we often focus on what triggered us—the sharp word, the forgotten errand, the dismissive tone. But beneath the surface, like an iceberg’s hidden mass, lies something deeper. We want something we’re not getting. Maybe we desire to be heard, understood or appreciated. Perhaps we want respect, acknowledgment or control. Our desires can be good and right—God-given longings for connection and security. The problem emerges when our desires transform into demands. When we begin insisting that others meet our deepest needs, we set ourselves up for disappointment and anger. No person can perfectly fulfill what only God can provide. The gospel shifts our focus from what we lack to what we’ve been given in Christ—acceptance, forgiveness, unfailing love and eternal security.

TODAY: When anger arises, pause and ask: “What am I desiring right now that I’m not getting?” Write down what comes to mind. Bring that desire to God, acknowledging that only he can meet your deepest needs. Ask him to help you see how the gospel provides what you’re seeking.