Wednesday 20 September, 2017

17 Here is what I’m telling you. I am speaking for the Lord as I warn you. You must no longer live as the Gentiles do. Their thoughts don’t have any purpose. 18 They can’t understand the truth. They are separated from the life of God. That’s because they don’t know him. And they don’t know him because their hearts are stubborn. 19 They have lost all feeling for what is right. So they have given themselves over to all kinds of evil pleasures. They take part in every kind of unclean act. And they are full of greed. 20 But that is not the way of life in Christ that you learned about. 21 You heard about Christ and were taught about life in him. What you learned was the truth about Jesus. 22 You were taught not to live the way you used to. You must get rid of your old way of life. That’s because it has been made impure by the desire for things that lead you astray. 23 You were taught to be made new in your thinking. 24 You were taught to start living a new life. It is created to be truly good and holy, just as God is.

So what does it take to live a truely Godly life? Paul tells me in this passage that in a world ruled by self indulgence, I need to be counter-cultural and be prepared to consider Gods way before my own desires. It is so easy to listen to popular opinion, justify my wants and desires, but it is a slippery slope that can quickly lead to a godless life. The key here is to keep my heart soft towards God (vs18).

If my heart is not open to God then it is too easy for my perspective to become unbalanced, for self indulgence to take over. It is not that everything in the world is bad, but while some things should be avoided others might be ok in moderation, balance. This life in Christ I aim for is a deliberate choice, I have to actively put off my old self and put on my new self. Righteousness is not a default position, it is the result of the choices I make -big and small- every single day.
Heavenly Father help me keep my heart soft towards you and to listen to the Holy Spirit who is my guide. Help me Lord to honour you in the decisions I make and to keep all aspects of my life in balance. May my thoughts and actions bring glory to you. In Jesus Name. Amen

Written by Christine Knight