Some of us squeeze our faces from morning till night. Day after day, the face begins to resemble those Osuka. The cloth wrapped aid a bowl of water why on the head. Wrinkled, tired, and stressed.

Someone offended you many years ago and you are still discussing it in 2025. The offence has become a permanent tenant. Even when people try to apologize, they must gather the whole family and sometimes even the elders cannot convince you.

But the truth is simple: Holding on to offence never punishes the offenders alone; it punishes you too.

1. WHY YOU HOLD ON TO OLD WOUND
• You replay the pain because it feels familiar.
• Pride makes it difficult to apologize or accept apologies.
• You think letting go means the other person won.
• You hold the offence like a badge of honour.
• You underestimate how much emotional weight it adds to your lives.
(Proverbs 19:11)
“A person’s wisdom yields patience; it is to one’s glory to overlook an offence.”

2. HOW IT AFFECTS YOU
• It steals your joy and peace.
• It drains mental and emotional energy.
• It shows on your face (tension, wrinkles, heaviness.)
• It slows your progress because your hearts remain stuck.
• Bitterness blocks spiritual clarity and sensitivity.
(Proverbs 17:22)
A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.

3. SIGNS YOU ARE STILL CARRYING OLD GRUDGES. . You still talk about what happened years ago.
• Your mood changes when the person’s name is mentioned.
• You bring old issues into new conversations.
• You avoid people because of past hurts, not present realities.
• You expect people to gather “elders” before you forgive.
• You remember the offence more easily than you remember God’s mercy.
(Hebrews 12:15)
See to it… that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many.

4. WHY FORGIVENESS IS NECESSARY.¹

• It heals the heart and brings inner peace.
• It restores the joy bitterness has stolen.
• It allows you to move forward without emotional baggage.
• It strengthens your relationship with God.
• Jesus taught that bitterness and blessings cannot live in the same heart.

(Matthew 6:12)
“Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.”
(Matthew 6:14)
“For if you forgive others… your heavenly Father will also forgive you.”

5. HOW TO LET GO. • Admit the hurt honestly before God.
• Choose forgiveness intentionally, not emotionally.
• Stop replaying the offence in your mind.
• Pray for strength instead of rehearsing bitterness.
• Refuse to retaliate when given the chance.
• Release the person for your own peace, not theirs.
• Relax your face, relax your heart breathe again.
(1 Peter 5:7)
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”. Be kind and compassionate… forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

FINAL NOTE

Life is too short to carry old wounds into new seasons.
Let your heart breathe.
Let your face rest.
Let your spirit rise again.

Forgive – Release -Move forward.

Your destiny needs space to blossom.

Reflective Prayer

“Lord, help me to release the hurt I have been carrying. Heal my heart, lighten my spirit, and restore my joy. Teach me to forgive as You forgive, so I can live in peace and walk into the blessings You have prepared for me. Amen.”

REFLECTION QUESTION FOR READERS.

•   What old wound or grudge are you holding onto today?
•   How will you take the first step to release it this week?

Written and Illustrated by Ọmọlọlá Fúnmiláyọ Edokpayi

1. ︎

The post WHY SOME PEOPLE AGE FASTER: The hidden weight of grudges first appeared on ArtPreachiate.

The post WHY SOME PEOPLE AGE FASTER: The hidden weight of grudges appeared first on ArtPreachiate.

“If you don’t have a sword,” He said,
“Then sell your coat—buy one instead.”
A strange thing from the Prince of Peace,
Who always taught that fights should cease.

Before this time, He sent them out
With just their faith, and not much doubt.
No money bag, no extra shoes,
Just trust in God and share the news.

But now He knew the hour had come,
The path ahead was not all fun.
The world would hate, the night was near,
It was a time to stand, not fear.

Not swords for war or angry fights,
But to be ready, day and night.
To walk with care, to watch and pray,
And face the trials that came their way.

They showed Him two, “Lord, we have these!”
He said, “Enough,” and let them be.
He didn’t cheer or ask for more,
For love, not war, was at His core.

Later on, when swords were drawn,
He stopped the fight before the dawn.
He healed a man, He made things right,
He showed God’s power, not man’s might.

So what did Jesus mean that day?
Be strong. Be wise. Prepare. Obey.
Sometimes the cloak must go aside
So truth and courage both can ride.

The sword we need is not of steel,
But truth and faith and love that’s real.
So carry hope and stand up tall—
God walks with you through it all.

written by Ọmọlọlá Edokpayi

The post WHY JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES TO BUY A SWORD (A SIMPLE POETIC REFLECTION) first appeared on ArtPreachiate.

The post WHY JESUS TOLD HIS DISCIPLES TO BUY A SWORD (A SIMPLE POETIC REFLECTION) appeared first on ArtPreachiate.

This morning, as I studied Matthew 8:7–8, the Lord dropped a simple yet profound truth into my heart: “Our word is our first messenger.”
Those words settled in my spirit like a seed. The more I meditated on the passage, the clearer it became.
In verse 7, Jesus said, “I will come and heal him.”
But in verse 8, the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed.”
That moment revealed something deeper than just healing. It revealed the power of a spoken word, the authority of faith, and the truth that our words often go ahead of us to do what our hands cannot.
From our very first cry at birth to our last breath, our words carry weight, meaning, and mission.

Before our presence enters a space,
Before our hands get to work,
Before our feet cross the threshold, our word goes first.

The Roman centurion understood something profound. He didn’t ask Jesus to touch, travel, or even arrive. He knew that words, when spoken with authority, are messengers that obey command.
“Speak the word only,” he said, “and my servant shall be healed.”
Because he believed the word could go ahead and get the work done.
Words move things.
They carry weight.
They command healing, invite peace, or stir change.
They echo our faith or reveal our fear.

Like soldiers under authority, words respond to direction:
“Go!”—and it goes.
“Come!”—and it comes.
“Do this!”—and it is done.

That is the power of a spoken word.
Not idle sound, but intent in motion.
Not mere letters, but life in transit https://www.gcu.edu/blog/spiritual-life/weekly-devotional-power-our-words

So what are your words saying ahead of you?
What message are they carrying?
Are they building or breaking?
Are they sowing peace or stirring storms?

Just like God sends out His Word to heal and deliver, we too must be intentional with the words we release. Because our words are not idle—they carry power, presence, and purpose. And if they carry such power, they must be seasoned with grace, guided by wisdom, and rooted in truth

“He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.”
— Psalm 107:20 (KJV)

Written and illustrated by Omolola Funmilayo Edokpayi

The post OUR WORD IS OUR FIRST MESSENGER (I) first appeared on ArtPreachiate.

The post OUR WORD IS OUR FIRST MESSENGER (I) appeared first on ArtPreachiate.

One of the things I learned from my late stepmother is that she didn’t mind her business. Yes, you heard me right. My late stepmother was that rare soul who refused to look away when things went wrong.

In today’s world, people are quick to chant the proverb: “Bá mi nà ọmọ mi, ko de inu olomo.” (Help me discipline my child? Never!). The idea of correcting another person’s child is now seen as an invitation to trouble. But back in the days of my stepmother, that proverb was meaningless. She did not believe in minding her business when it came to values, discipline, and the well-being of those around her.

I am not saying people should not mind their business. It all depends on the area where you are minding your business.

She was the kind of woman who would see a child going astray and intervene, even if that child was not hers. If she spot a young boy disrespecting an elder, she would call him out: “Come here, young man! Is this how you were raised?” She would speak the truth, back to back, without fear or favour. It didn’t matter if the child’s mother frowned or the father grumbled. To her, wrong was wrong, and silence in the face of wrong was even worse.

She particularly hated disrespect. Why growing up, I remembered she was the one that stopped some of my younger ones from calling me by name without adding ‘Aatii’ which is a respectful Yoruba term for female elders, she addresses issues immediately. She wouldn’t wait for tomorrow to come before correcting disrespectful behaviours. To her, respect was fundamental, and she made sure we understood that.

This wasn’t just limited to children. She would correct adults too, questioning unethical behaviours, confronting injustices. In her eyes, a person’s immediate family did not define their responsibility to society. We were all part of a larger family, and keeping quiet about what was wrong meant being complicit in it.

But in today’s society, this kind of boldness is almost extinct. People now tread carefully, afraid of stepping on toes. Why should I correct someone else’s child? What if their parents insult me? So, we turn our faces the other way, we walk past wrongdoing, and we let children grow wild because “it’s not our business.” My stepmother never subscribed to that philosophy, and now I realize how valuable her stance was.

Nowadays, correcting a child doesn’t go down well with their mother, especially because of what our society is turning into and the way people wickedly correct other people’s children. However, when someone corrects a child with love, we should not take it as an offense. It is for our own good and for the child’s benefit.

This lesson I learned from her has taught me that when we see something wrong, we need to address it with goodness and God’s happiness.

Happy Mother’s Day to all the amazing mothers out there! May your love and wisdom continue to shape generations to come. Amen

Written and Illustrated by Omolola Funmilayo Edokpayi

The post ONE OF THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM MY LATE STEP MUM first appeared on ArtPreachiate.

The post ONE OF THE LESSONS LEARNED FROM MY LATE STEP MUM appeared first on ArtPreachiate.

The scribes and Pharisees were highly respected religious leaders in Jesus’ time, known for their strict adherence to the Law of Moses and the traditions of the elders. Their righteousness refers to the kind of religious conduct they displayed, which was often based on external appearances and strict rule-keeping rather than inner transformation or sincere devotion to God.

Outwardly, they appeared righteous and holy. But Jesus saw beyond their robes and rituals—He saw their hearts. He had to address it in Matthew 5:20.
Here are seven of those forms of righteousness to look out for:

1. Outward show of religion without inward purity:
The Pharisees cared about appearances. They looked pure on the outside, but their hearts were far from God. They were so corrupt inside that Jesus had to address it in Matthew 23:27-28

“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres… within full of dead men’s bones” https://www.bible.com/bible/1/MAT.23.27-28.KJV

2. Pride in religious status and titles:
They loved titles and positions of honour rather than humble service. They loved to be called “Rabbi” and sought the praises of men rather than God. They loved public recognition.
This can be seen in Matthew 23:5-7.

“they make broad their phylacteries… and love the uppermost rooms at feasts, and the chief seats in the synagogues”

3. Strict observance of minor laws but neglecting weightier matters:
The Pharisees focused excessively on tithing even the smallest herbs. They were so meticulous about religious rules but ignored the most important aspects of God’s law, which are justice, mercy, and faith—even love.

Matthew 23:23

“Woe unto you… for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law…”

4. Hypocrisy in teaching but not practicing:
They preached righteousness but didn’t practice it.
Matthew 23:2-3

“The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat… but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.”

5. Seeking praise from men rather than God:
The Pharisees’ righteousness was for show, to gain the approval of people. Even their acts of charity and prayer were done to impress others. And Jesus corrected this in Matthew 6:1

“Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them”

6. Burdening people:
They burdened others with laws, making religion hard for others but didn’t lift a finger to help them. In fact, they imposed rules without offering compassion or grace.

Luke 11:46

“ye lade men with burdens grievous to be borne, and ye yourselves touch not the burdens…”

7. Rejection of Jesus and the gospel truth:
Despite all their knowledge, they rejected the Messiah. Though they knew the Scriptures, they rejected Jesus Himself.

John 5:39-40

“Search the scriptures… and they are they which testify of me. And ye will not come to me, that ye might have life.”

In summary:
The righteousness of the Pharisees was based on:

Outward appearance

Pride and self-righteousness

Legalism over love

Hypocrisy

Neglect of heart transformation

In this powerful statement in Matthew 5:20, Jesus challenges His followers to a deeper and authentic walk with God—one that goes beyond surface religion. He is calling us to a higher righteousness, one that flows from a changed heart full of humility, love, mercy, and truth

Question
What kind of righteousness did they display, and why wasn’t it enough?

Prayer: Pray this for yourself.
Lord, help me not to settle for outward religion. Change me from the inside out. Let my righteousness be real, not rooted in pride or performance, but in love, faith, and obedience to You. Amen.

The post 7 Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees You Need to Know and Check Out For first appeared on ArtPreachiate.

The post 7 Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees You Need to Know and Check Out For appeared first on ArtPreachiate.