Day 25: Grateful for a Transformed Life!
3Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God's people. 4Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is really an idolater who worships the things of this world. 6Don't be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the terrible anger of God comes upon all those who disobey him. Ephesians 5:3-6
Paul’s words in today’s Scripture remind us that as followers of Jesus, we are called both to DO and LIVE in certain ways, and NOT to do and live in certain ways! As Jesus followers, we may find ourselves responding to the world’s “criticism” that we are dull and boring, because we have to follow so many rules. The reality is nothing could be farther from the truth. We don’t live as followers of Jesus seeking to follow rules. We live as followers of Jesus seeking to follow HIM. In that pursuit of Jesus, we seek to be like Him. Paul reminds us that to be like Jesus means not to be sexually immoral, impure or greedy. It means to avoid obscene stories, foolish talk and coarse jokes. The simplest way to avoid such things, is by replacing them with the ways of Jesus. Actually, Paul tells us right in the middle of this Scripture: Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. When Paul writes “Instead…” he’s telling us that he’s offering an alternative to the negative activities that we are to avoid. In life we must always remember that we can’t just avoid sin, we must replace it with something else. Habits are nearly never “broken” in real life. We simply substitute a new habit for an old one. So, what do you and I need to do to replace our sins? One thing we can do is be THANKFUL to God for what we have, for what He’s done, for who He is! As we pause to thank God for what we have, we come to appreciate each item or reality more. Satisfaction and gratitude go together. When we are grateful, we are satisfied with what we have. It’s when we forget all that God has provided that we start to want MORE. So, remember: let there be thankfulness to God for ALL our blessings!
Questions and Comments for Reflection and Action:
Think of the sins that tempt you in your life. What do you need to give thanks to God for in your life, that will help you overcome these sins?
Take some time right now to thank God for ALL that you have received. As you do that, remember that an attitude of gratitude is the beginning of a transformed life in Jesus Christ!