PC3 Devotions

Ephesians 4:1-3 

1 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

We all know deep down inside what type of person we want to become and what values we hope will define us. These desires must be shared in community. We need accountability. We also need someone who has the guts to ask us, “How are you doing with things? Do some things need to change? What are you struggling with in regards to sin or temptation?”

Why do we need people who will hold us accountable and are willing to speak the truth in love? Coasting spiritually without accountability leaves one vulnerable for their heart to be fooled. Instead of allowing God to examine our motives, we rely on our own heart to judge our behavior. This places us on a slippery slope as the prophet Jeremiah says the “heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure” (Jeremiah 17:9).

Our heart’s inclination will be towards sin and “the cravings of sinful man, the lust of the eyes and the boasting of what he has and does” (1 John 2:16). It will always tell us what we want to hear. How often do we tell ourselves, “I’ll just do it this one time” or “”my ____________ doesn’t really affect anyone else?” We are experts at rationalizing our own sin. Sin thrives on privacy and darkness. However, we don’t really hide things, we simply isolate ourselves from others. We need community to reveal the lies we tell ourselves (Proverbs 15:22, Ecclesiastes 4:9-10).

But, the need for community goes deeper than tackling the deceitfulness of sin. In Ephesians 4, Paul urges his listeners to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called “ (v.1).  This does not mean that we should try to deserve our place in God’s favor. It means that we should recognize how much our place in God’s favor deserves from us. The focus is not on our worth, but rather the worth of our calling. Because we bear the integrity of God’s image and the influence of His love, we must urge one another to walk in a manner worthy of their calling.

The challenge is to engage in such a way where others have access to stir and spur you on to reflect Christ’s heart. But, it’s not just about having people in your life who encourage you. The call is to be this kind of person for others. This begins with being mindful of the mission God has for us and considering ways you can stir others as well. Community requires mutual accountability. We engage with others for the sake of our call.

God, may I see how desperately I need to be known by others. Instead of hiding my true self, may I be willing to be vulnerable. But, help me to not stop there. May I encourage and spur others along with grace and transparency. Amen.

Statistics show that more than 60% of people lose their temper at least once per week. These stats should get you angry because you know the other 40% of respondents are not being honest. Each one of us has buttons that, if pushed correctly, amp up our emotions and cause us to freak out. These triggers have the ability to set us off on a path of destructive words, thoughts, and behaviors if not dealt with properly.

When you are angry, you should take notice. Why? Because anger serves as an indicator of disarray happening within your heart. Our anger is a gauge of what is taking place on the inside. Jesus confirms this point. In Luke 6:45, Jesus says, “For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” Later on in Matthew 15:18-19, Jesus takes it a step further. Take a moment and consider these words found in Matthew:

Matthew 15:18-19

18 But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. 19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

To understand anger, we have to look at our heart. Proverbs 4:23 encourages us to guard our heart because it serves as the “wellspring of life.” What is taking place within our heart when we get angry? There are numerous reasons our emotions get all amped up: feeling our “rights” have been violated, frustrated over our current circumstances, not having control over a situation, our pride getting hurt, feeling misunderstood, being disrespected, or someone blocking what we desire.

At the core of all these reasons is the fact that you wanted something and didn’t get it. James 4 tells us that the source of our quarrels and fights “come from the evil desires at war within you.  You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them.” Kill seems like a pretty harsh word. But in Matthew 5:22, Jesus placed the anger you hold towards someone on the same playing field as the sin of murder. The Bible says we shouldn’t take our anger lightly. It is no wonder, then, that scripture also urges to not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:26) and to put all anger away (Colossians 3:8, Ephesians 4:31).

Selfishness, ungratefulness, and impatience define our anger. We get angry when we don’t get what we want and sometimes think we deserve. This places us on shaky ground because people who feel they are owed something walk around with a chip on their shoulders. The longer we let this anger fester the more it clouds our judgments. Proverbs 27:4 compares anger to a flood in its power to destroy and harm.

Other parts of scripture go as far as saying anger kills the foolish man (Job 5:2). How? By consuming our thoughts and dictating our actions which tend to bring with it all kinds of sin (Proverbs 29:22). Getting angry rarely solves problems and, in fact, tends to produce more conflict and trouble (Proverbs 30:33). Losing our cool only makes things worse because we tend to act like fools (Proverbs 14:7, Ecclesiastes 7:9). The anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires (James 1:20).

Yet, Paul, the writer of Ephesians, expects us to experience anger.  He understood that emotions are God-given. Paul is more concerned that his readers understand how to manage their anger, and from his perspective the key is not allowing it to get wedged inside your heart. In other words, cut it off at its source as quickly as possible.

Instead we are commanded to be slow to anger (James 1:19, Proverbs 16:32). Yes, patience in difficult situations does bring peace and perspective (Proverbs 14:29). But that is not our main purpose for being slow to anger. During those moments of patience, we are reflecting God’s heart (Exodus 34:5, Numbers 14:18). The kindness of God, seen through His being slow to anger, is what allows us to repent. We get rid of anger and bitterness through the difficult act of forgiveness, which is both an event and process. We must forgive just as Christ forgave us (Ephesians 4:32).

Understanding the love God has for us is critical in helping us process through our anger and tense situations. We want so desperately to control our own world and have everything fall into place. We desire to be the one who dictates our path and our direction. In a way, believing we are in control of anything is foolish. God is in complete control and holds everything together by His hand (Psalm 103:19, Romans 8:28). He controls the laws of the universe, the tides of the ocean. Our very existence depends on Him. We can rest in the fact that the one who is in control of everything loves us deeply. This helps us from agonizing over trying to control every situation or fuming with negative anger over our current situation.

God, may I not take my angry lightly. Help me to confront the real reasons I freak out and get angry. Enable me to see the deeper issues taking place within my heart. Shine your light on these areas. Expose them for what they are. Amen.

James 3:3-18

3 When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4 Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5 Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6 The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell.

7 All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and sea creatures are being tamed and have been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.

9 With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. 10 Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be. 11 Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12 My brothers and sisters, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.

13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom. 14 But if you harbor bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth. 15 Such “wisdom” does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you find disorder and every evil practice.

17 But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18 Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.

Our words have enormous power. They have the ability to heal and encourage just as much as they do to cripple and destroy. The only thing words can’t do is be neutral. Burned into our memory, either for good or for bad, words stay with us for such a long time. For some the words of a loving parent or mentor spurred them on to greater deeds while for others hearing they were “unlovable,” “stupid,” or a “screw up” have plagued them for years.

Words uttered in the midst of a freak out can quickly lead us into situations in which we do not want to find ourselves. The imagery James uses to speak of this direction is a bit and rudder (v.3, 4). Both are very small items, but both have a profound impact on one’s direction. Even though it is easy to underestimate their power, our words control the direction of our entire body.

We might feel it is no big deal that a few words spoken in anger escaped during the heat of the moment. However, what started as a small spark (a momentary freak out) can quickly turn into a raging fire (v.6). These words can ruin a relationship for years to come. Just like a fire that has raged out of control, there is often no way to reverse the damage your words have caused.

We can get ourselves into trouble with our mouths.  But there is something happening deep beneath the surface that often goes unnoticed. Scripture is very clear in saying that our words reveal what lies inside the heart (v.14-16). It is only normal, then, to want to hide your condition, whether it is poor self-esteem, anger, envy, depression, pride, or a host of other crippling conditions. Yet, as hard as you might try to hide your condition, in the heat of the moment it is brought to light through your words.

Until we realize the value of our words, how they speak to something deeper taking place inside of us, and the impact of what we say has on others, we will be taken down a destructive path and end up in places that we did not want to go.  We need to cultivate the habit of stewardship when it comes to our words. Stewardship simply means to manage.

Controlling our tongues involves more than mere discipline. It is about leveraging the potential of our words to become a fountain of life. In order for this to take root in our lives, we must continually be drawing water from the well of our surrendered heart.  The reality of a trusting, surrendered heart is that we are righteous, and scripture tells us the mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life (Proverbs 10:11).

The types of words we speak are directly tied to the maturity of our faith (Ephesians 4:15). The whole concept of this is not carefully controlled words that conceal what is really going on inside our heart but words centered on a truth that is rooted so deeply in love that our mouths can be trusted to gush out life-giving water.

God, too often I don’t give a second thought to the power of the words that I speak. They flow out of my mouth with little to no thought. This carelessness has caused many people hurt and pain. Please give me the courage to seek their forgiveness and become more aware of how my speech affects others. I desperately want to experience control over my tongue but realize this is impossible without your grace and the mighty power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

A few years back my wife and I took our daughter to a state park near where I grew up in western Maryland. The park is up on the side of a large mountain and overlooks the town below. To say the views are spectacular would be an understatement. When the leafs begin to change it is a thing of beauty. Our daughter, who was just learning to walk, wanted to get a closer view and began to head towards the edge. Luckily, mom was quick on her feet and swooped her up. Even luckier, there was a guardrail to protect her from the steep drop off that lied on the other side. Consider these words from Ephesians:

Ephesians 5:15-18

 ¹⁵ Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. ¹⁸ Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

Guardrails protect us from danger. Anytime we get behind the wheel of a car, ride our bike or walk on a trail, we notice these guardrails. These boundaries are there to keep us from heading to places we don’t want to go. They alert us to danger on the other side. But, here’s the thing. Boundaries aren’t only necessary in our every day experiences. They are critical in our spiritual life where we pursue of integrity and reflecting God’s character.

Boundaries are important because no matter who you are, what you struggle with, whether you’re a Christian or not, married or not, in school, have a job…no matter who you are, one fact remains true: your greatest regret relationally, morally, or ethically–whether in the past or yet to come–could have been or can be avoided. Avoiding these regrets have almost everything to do with boundaries.

The problem is tour natural tendency is to push ourselves to the limit and get as close to the line as possible. From our limited perspective, boundaries appear restrictive. Nothing about them appears freeing. We want to live our lives without restraint. What we don’t realize is the regret that lies on the other side.

Rather than restricting our life, boundaries free us to live a life without worry of a moral fender bender or worse yet a compete wreck. No one has ever said they’ve regretted setting up boundaries, but there are numerous people who can tell you story after story about the chaos that was caused due to the lack of guardrails in their lives.

It is critical we establish boundaries and a personal standard of behavior that influences both our actions and our words. We need to pay attention to the way we walk. We must steward our influence well and this begins by protecting one’s integrity. Each one of us has areas in our life that left to our own devices we’d get in trouble by giving up control of our heart and mind to something or someone else.

These are the places where guardrails must be erected. Boundaries needs to become a matter of conscience–a line you’re so committed to not crossing or violating that your conscience makes you feel like you’ve done something wrong when you cross it. A boundary is like a warning sign going off…”Danger, go the other way, don’t go any further!”

Chances are good you already know where you need to plant a guardrail, where you need a personal standard of behavior that informs your heart.  Setting boundaries is a way of preserving yourself for God’s plans for your life. You have no idea what God has in store for your future, and you could miss it if you don’t set up healthy boundaries.

God, open my eyes to the places where I’m vulnerable. Help me to avoid the danger on the other side by creating boundaries in my life. May I steward my influence well by protecting my integrity. Amen.

Ephesians 2:1-5

1 As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

When we enter into a relationship with Christ, an incredible transformation takes place.  There is a profound difference between living “dead” in the world and being “alive” in Christ. As significant as this change is, we cannot fully comprehend the magnitude of what Christ has done on our behalf.  For this reason, we are inclined to cling to our old identity, our life prior to Christ.

Few understand this better than Paul.  In Ephesians 3:17-19

17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

How would trusting in the truths of this scripture change the things you demand your spouse to fulfill? Take it a step further. How different would your life look like if you could love your spouse freely because you were no longer looking to them for a love that had eluded you?

The simple fact is that we were created to love. It is very clear in scripture that God is love and apart from Him love does not exist.  Without it, what motivates our actions and our words can be suspect.

From the outside the actions can seem pure, but our motives are driven by selfish desires. We look to get rather than give. We try to manipulate situations. We “love” out of a sense of obligation, to make up for mistakes or to avoid conformation. Our ability to truly love our spouse lies solely in our understanding and acceptance of God’s sacrificial love.

Therefore, Christ must be the foundation upon which we live our lives and care for our spouse as well as what spurs us on to act with right motives. Ultimately, a sense of freedom is experienced because for the first time we are able to trust our heart and our motives.

God, may I put my complete trust in your love. Open my eyes to the depths of how far your love runs. Help me to reflect your sacrificial love in my relationships. Amen.

Ephesians 5:31-33

³¹ “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” ³² This is a profound mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. ³³ However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.

Do I have what it takes? EVERY man asks this question and it fuels his thoughts and actions more than anything else. A man’s worst fear is failure.  His greatest need is to feel significant.

Men are not the only ones asking questions. While men are pondering whether they have what it takes, women are nervously asking themselves ‘Am I lovely?’  Their biggest fear is abandonment and rejection. Men fear failure so they either over compensate or give up. Women are terrified of being hurt and alone so they either pretend they don’t need a man by seeking independence, attempt to control or sell their beauty short in hopes of charming men and capturing their attention. Girls are being taught at an early age that image is everything and if you aren’t beautiful you aren’t worthy. Sadly, we have defined ourselves (both men and women) by these false images and we’ve suffered greatly for it.

The enemy appeals to our worst fear. This is precisely the point of temptation and the struggle of the curse. Ever since sin entered the world in the Garden of Eden, men have feared failure while women have been terrified of abandonment and rejection. We’ve also failed to live up to our roles as husbands and wives. God designed men to be initiators while women were crafted to be responders. In our bid for gender-neutrality, we often see these roles reversed.

We continue to respond and react to these false images without admitting something is broken.  What we don’t realize is that when we ignore our God given roles men are robbed of the honor of being responsible while women are robbed of the honor of being responsive. A vicious cycle is created: Husbands drop the ball, which causes wives to be terrified and hesitant to trust. So, they take the reigns and lead which causes the husband to grow indifferent and feel disrespected. Feeling disrespected, the husband fails to display love to his wife. This repeats itself over and over again until it gets out of control.

This should break our heart. Marriage is the most intimate of human relationships designed to be an expression of the very nature and character of God. The only way to truly honor marriage is by honoring God’s design for you and the role you have been given either as a husband or wife.

A man’s tendency to shrink from our responsibility seems to mimic Adam. God placed Adam in charge and with that came responsibility to fight. Yet, when Satan comes and entices Eve, Adam sits back and does nothing. He doesn’t put up a fight. He doesn’t even speak up. Adam enables Satan not only to deceive his wife, but also dishonor God. Ever since then a war for souls has been going on and God is looking to men to fight.

Pastor Marc Driscoll says, “what men are built for is to defend truth and justice; to conquer evil and to promote righteousness; and to protect the helpless and the vulnerable and the weak. That’s what men are made for.” Ephesians 6:10-16 highlights the fight we find ourselves engaged in when it urges us to “put on the full armor of God.” The time has come for us to fight for the things that truly matter. Men must take responsibility for the marriage relationship while women must prepare themselves to be responsive to his attempts.

God, may I honor marriage by honoring the role you’ve given me. Help me to not take the responsibility I’ve been given lightly, but pour all my energy into knowing your heart so that I know whose heart I am suppose to reflect. Amen.

Ephesians 5:3

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.

Our struggles with purity boil down to a lack of trust in God. From the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, humans have questioned whether God is holding out on them. We doubt His ways are best not only in the area of sex, but our entire lives as well. We hear that sex is intended for the covenant of marriage with the marriage bed being honored above all else (Hebrews 13:4) and consider God old fashion as well as out of touch with the reality of today’s culture.

Yet, we are confronted with Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:27-28 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Jesus knew that regardless of the culture, humanity’s tendency to wrestle with their eyes, hearts and thought life. God’s standard of not having a hint of sexual immorality (Ephesians 5:3) appears unrealistic and unattainable so instead we settle on our own standard of purity.

This is why it is so easy for many of us to be lured away from God. Lust whispers in our ears why wait, a little look won’t hurt or what is the problem with indulging since you are no longer pure. It appears to offer us life and intimacy. However, lust is the king of false advertisement as it always seems to fall short of what its’ selling. The reason for this is that lust is a lie and is incapable of producing with it promises.

What have we received for giving in to the lure of lust? We sought intimacy, but instead received isolation.  No relationship is needed when it comes to a quick slip of the eye while strolling on the beach, clicking on a questionable website or thinking of what ‘could be’ with the neighbor who pays you a little bit of attention. However, each time we acted on our thoughts someone got hurt. Realizing all we have received in return for our actions is emptiness, we slip deeper into despair. Distance is created in our relationship with God when we continue to live in lust’s sinful cycle.

Having bought in to the lie that lust leads to life, we look at our lives and see only death and destruction. If we have been hurt time and time again by lust’s charm, the question we must ask ourselves is why do we continue to struggle with our eyes and thought life. As mentioned earlier, we think our way of living is the best. When you break down this train of thought one cannot help but notice how it reeks with pride.  Instead of using God’s view as the standard for purity, we create our own which allows us to act without guilt or remorse.

In John 14:6, Jesus described himself as being “the way, the truth and the life.”  We are left to wonder what is this life he is offering us and how it relates to how we handle or sexual desires.  When we don’t understand his ways it is impossible for us to comprehend why they are the best course of action to take. Sex inside of marriage brings unity, intimacy and fulfillment.  When both the husband and the wife take responsibility and put their spouses needs above their own, the wife feels captivated and beautiful while the husband feels honored and respected.  For both married and single people making God’s vision for sex a reality in your life requires discipline and self-control.  Working on God’s vision for sex means walking with Him (Galatians 5:16). We must learn to seek His face and respond to His voice in our lives.

God, may I trust you with my desires. Let me turn a deaf ear to the lure of lust. Help me to pursue purity above all else. Amen.

Everybody wants to be loved and everybody wants their life to count.  These two ‘wants’ drive every other desire.  The decisions we make are usually made in the pursuit of those two ends.

Without clear vision in our decision making process, we drift towards trying to please others in an attempt to earn their love or we diminish others in an attempt to prove our worth.  Without a foundation of Truth, we are either shaped by the expectations of others or we end up in a ruthless competition with them.

We purchase property and cars in order to improve out status, keep up with Jones’ or as a statement of our value.
We grab attention and use relationships to fill our drive to be loved.

This doesn’t happen intentionally… and that is the point.  Our moral decisions and relational decisions are subjected to the instability of our emotions, simply trying to feel our way through.  Our decisions have an impact on the trajectory of our lives.  Our choices have consequences and those consequences affect our the condition of our souls- they way we see, the way we trust, the way we live.

Life continues decision after decision.
Choices driven by the hope that this choice will lead to love and fulfillment.

There is a difference between making decisions in the hope of good circumstances and deciding in the direction of God’s goodness.

Ephesians 4:20-25
20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!— 21 assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, 22 to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

Look at the phrase in verse 21, “The truth is in Jesus.”  What truth?  What truth is found in Jesus.
The truth that our deepest desire to belong is fulfilled in His love for us.  The truth that our deepest desire to matter is fulfilled in His purpose for us.

Our old way of thinking and chasing and deciding is plagued by darkened understanding and futile thinking (See Ephesians 4:17-19). We must be renewed in our minds.  The old manner of life tries to compensate for what it wants by manipulating circumstances.

The new life needs no exterior circumstances to determine being loved or valued. It is confirmed by the sacrifice of God’s Son and the life that He gives- that is our new life.

The foundation of truth is that our lives are being remade into everything we were created to be and we must learn to decide in that direction. We make choices to be obedient because we trust God.

We were created in God’s image:  righteousness and holiness (verse 24).

Righteousness means we are right with God. Holiness means out lives have been set apart solely and specifically for His purpose.  This is given to us in the Gospel.

This is the image in which we have been created and the image in which Christ has redeemed!  This is your new life. So decide in the direction of God’s goodness!

Lord, give me wisdom. Give me the eyes to see the new life you’ve created in me. Give me the faith to believe what you have done in me. And give me the courage to make decisions in the direction of what you are doing in me. Amen.

Yesterday we talked about the deceitfulness of sin and the vulnerable state we leave ourselves in when we try to make decisions on our own. We focused on how sin has the ability to harden our hearts and distort our perspective. Today, we want to explore this idea a bit further by examining the words of Paul:

Ephesians 4:17-24

 ¹⁷ So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸ They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹ Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.  ²⁰ That, however, is not the way of life you learned ²¹ when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²² You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³ to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

In this passage Paul makes a bold statement. He says the Gentiles were “separated from the life of God.” Take a moment and re-read the passage. What does Paul give as the reason for this separation? It was due to their futile thinking; darken understanding and the hardening of their hearts. The Gentiles missed out on the life God had to offer because their hearts and minds were not right. This reminds me of a familiar scripture:

Proverbs 3:5-6

⁵ Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.

Lean not on your own understanding. Yet, aren’t we so prone to this response? We look at the decisions we face through our lens and our own limited understanding.  Not only do we lean on it, but some build their very lives upon it.

Yet, we are called to live differently. We must learn to walk by faith. Paul urges us to put off our old self and be made new in the attitude of our minds. We are invited to believe, trust and depend on God. This isn’t something to take lightly.

Our very hearts are at stake.  Notice the end of the passage.  Hard hearts create callousness, which eventually leads to indifference in way we live.  This is a dangerous cycle, especially when you consider the weight of the decisions you often face. The choices you make not only impact you, but your family, friends and others within your sphere of influence.

Your decisions speak volumes about your belief in God. So, instead of leaning on your own understanding, walk with God. He offers you forgiveness, life and a footing for your steps.  Trust Him and forsake the futility of your own thinking.

Lord, there are so many times when doing things your way doesn’t make sense.  I confess the areas where I have tried to get you to operate according to my thinking.  Help me to be aware of those tendencies and reveal to me your ways so I can trust in you.  Amen.