Every Moment Matters
'Don’t
allow love to turn into lust, setting off a downhill slide into sexual
promiscuity, filthy practices, or bullying greed. Though some tongues
just love the taste of gossip, those who follow Jesus have better uses
for language than that. Don’t talk dirty or silly. That kind of talk
doesn’t fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect.
You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them—the usual variations on idolatry—will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.
Don’t let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him. Don’t even hang around people like that.
You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.
Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.
Sometimes when God wakes me up to pray He wants me to thank Him. To thank Him for my life and that He is in it. He reminds me to thank Him for the people and the situations that He brings to me. We are so blessed. He likes to remind me of things that I need to do. We are so busy. He reminds me to pray for certain people. We are all going through challenges. He talks to me. He warns me about the dangers of sin and tells me to avoid the pitfalls at every cost.
This is why God reminds me to pray and to thank Him. Every moment matters. Sin is a complicated trap. Watch your step. Use your head. Don't fall into it. Don't think about it. Keep your mind on good things. He likes to keep it simple. When I keep my mind on the simple things, it is a distraction that is sometimes the hardest thing to do. When things aren't going right, it's more of a challenge to find something to be thankful for. When life gets busy, it's hard to find the time to spend with Him. I miss Him during those times. He waits for me. He intercedes for me.
Just as the devil tempted Christ in the wilderness, he still uses the same tactics today. The tempter is a liar, and is always there trying to lure me away from God and toward sin. He uses the lust of the eye (materialism), the lust of the body (hedonism) and the pride of life (egoism) to do it. Just as he did then, these are the three main areas of influence that the enemy uses now, as it were. Nothing new to see here. They are meant to corrupt and to deceive me as they go to the heart of the human character; how I think, what I wish for and how I feel.
What I think affects my mind, what I wish for affects my soul and how I feel affects my heart. Guard these areas for out of these come the very issues of life and thus the ideals that are important to me. God wants more from me. Jesus was able to transcend the mountains of influence in the important areas of worldly interest in science, the arts and religion. God would have me to seek the virtues of faith, hope and love which is the link to Himself for He alone is Truth, Beauty and Goodness.
When seeking the virtues, while being tempted with the pride of life, Christ always gives me a way out of worldly darkness. He is my example and He teaches me to obey. He is light and He is life. I am so thankful that He has given me the way into His marvelous light.
Dear Father. Thank You for being in my life and for reminding me to be thankful and to pray. Thank You for Your Word and for the reminders You give me to live like Jesus did. Help me to refuse the temptations to sin and to seek the virtues of faith, hope and love. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Source: Biblehub.com; Biblegateway.com; google.com; Biblestudytools.com.
You can be sure that using people or religion or things just for what you can get out of them—the usual variations on idolatry—will get you nowhere, and certainly nowhere near the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of God.
Don’t let yourselves get taken in by religious smooth talk. God gets furious with people who are full of religious sales talk but want nothing to do with him. Don’t even hang around people like that.
You groped your way through that murk once, but no longer. You’re out in the open now. The bright light of Christ makes your way plain. So no more stumbling around. Get on with it! The good, the right, the true—these are the actions appropriate for daylight hours. Figure out what will please Christ, and then do it.
Don’t waste your time on useless work, mere busywork, the barren pursuits of darkness. Expose these things for the sham they are. It’s a scandal when people waste their lives on things they must do in the darkness where no one will see. Rip the cover off those frauds and see how attractive they look in the light of Christ.
Wake up from your sleep,
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!
Climb out of your coffins;
Christ will show you the light!
So watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times!' Ephesians 5:3-14 (MSG)
This is why God reminds me to pray and to thank Him. Every moment matters. Sin is a complicated trap. Watch your step. Use your head. Don't fall into it. Don't think about it. Keep your mind on good things. He likes to keep it simple. When I keep my mind on the simple things, it is a distraction that is sometimes the hardest thing to do. When things aren't going right, it's more of a challenge to find something to be thankful for. When life gets busy, it's hard to find the time to spend with Him. I miss Him during those times. He waits for me. He intercedes for me.
Just as the devil tempted Christ in the wilderness, he still uses the same tactics today. The tempter is a liar, and is always there trying to lure me away from God and toward sin. He uses the lust of the eye (materialism), the lust of the body (hedonism) and the pride of life (egoism) to do it. Just as he did then, these are the three main areas of influence that the enemy uses now, as it were. Nothing new to see here. They are meant to corrupt and to deceive me as they go to the heart of the human character; how I think, what I wish for and how I feel.
What I think affects my mind, what I wish for affects my soul and how I feel affects my heart. Guard these areas for out of these come the very issues of life and thus the ideals that are important to me. God wants more from me. Jesus was able to transcend the mountains of influence in the important areas of worldly interest in science, the arts and religion. God would have me to seek the virtues of faith, hope and love which is the link to Himself for He alone is Truth, Beauty and Goodness.
When seeking the virtues, while being tempted with the pride of life, Christ always gives me a way out of worldly darkness. He is my example and He teaches me to obey. He is light and He is life. I am so thankful that He has given me the way into His marvelous light.
Dear Father. Thank You for being in my life and for reminding me to be thankful and to pray. Thank You for Your Word and for the reminders You give me to live like Jesus did. Help me to refuse the temptations to sin and to seek the virtues of faith, hope and love. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
Source: Biblehub.com; Biblegateway.com; google.com; Biblestudytools.com.
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