200th post, by the way...wow.
Living as Children of Light
17So 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. 18They 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. 19Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.
20You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. 21Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. 22You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; 23to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.
25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26"In your anger do not sin"[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. 28He who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with his own hands, that he may have something to share with those in need.
29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Footnotes:
Ephesians 4:26 Psalm 4:4
Words, phrases that stuck out to me:
*** ...due to the hardening of their hearts.; verse 18: I often wonder, "How did _____ become so bitter? So angry? So uncaring? So 'meh'?" Paul lets us know that those who may be identified with these adjectives (and at times, myself), it's our heart, our soul, that has been hardened. Some areas of scripture say that God, at times, "allows" for the hardening of our hearts to get a point across (not sure that he "makes" our hearts hard, though...there is a difference, to me, between "makes" and "allows"...). But, regardless, the hardening of our hearts is on us. Now, I know that sometimes it's unfair to blame ourselves when certain life circumstances out of our control have led to the hardening of our heart and soul (or, at least make it WAY easier to occur), things like abandonment, abuse, illness, etc. But, ultimately, I do think God is shining through, wanting above all else for us to see and know him...and allow God to carry our burdens. But, we "drink the Kool-Aid" of culture, or of what others beat into our heads, etc., and run. And after running awhile...our hearts go places only God himself has the power to raise them from...
*** 26"In your anger do not sin"[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27and do not give the devil a foothold. : This phrase, "don't let the sun go down while you are still angry," is one often told to newlyweds, etc., and I really do think it is a good credo to live by. But, this passage takes it deeper, giving us warning. While anger isn't sin in itself...it can delve into sin. How? When hate, malice, and an essential hope for someone's lack-of-well being to occur...yeah, bad. And unfortunately, I think 95% (my unscientific research, haha) of anger delves into the "Sin" world. But anger, when unchecked (or for non-noble reasons), can allow for Satan (yes, I said Satan) to gain further access to your heart. We all know folks who just seem to "live" in a state of anger, even if it's just simmering below the surface. And, I think at some point, they lost guard of their hearts and allowed evil to grab on...
*** 29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. : I think this may be one of the hardest things for Christians to truly grasp. Whether it's framed as sarcasm, or just "being funny", or messing with friends, or "harmless" gossip, or even just being a complete jerk, we are ALL so bad at controlling what we say. I know I've struggled with this at times in my life. I can also honestly say that an evidence of God's work in my life (and how prayer- and trust- can truly change one's heart and attitude...) is how I try to approach what I "say". My prayer is to edify, to encourage, to lift up, and be positive. Oh sure, I fail. But compared to say, oh, 1995 when I could have cared less about my speech, thing have changed mightily... And as scripture says elsewhere, "What comes out of our moths is a window to our Soul" (my paraphrase)...and if we catch UGLY coming out of us...we need to start seeking God and asking, "Ok...what is not right with my heart..." Tough to do...
Questions for me today:
How is my heart? What evidence in how I speak, what I "want to do", how I am treating others, etc., can I look at to see the status of my heart today?
What "ugly" needs to be dealt with?
Am I humble enough to be broken and admit my heart has become a hard, dark place?
What do I need to confess to God (and...others?) so the process of coming "out of the pit" can begin?
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