Lenten Readings

Tuesday (3/17/2020) - Lord God, by your Word fill me with a spirit of gratitude and thanksgiving
Ephesians 5:6-20 - Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.” So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 
You are not who you once were; you have been changed! Paul reminds us in our text today that through Christ, we who were once full of darkness are now filled with light. The New Testament uses this picture of light and darkness many times. The world was dark until the Light broke through. We all know that light and darkness cannot exist in the same place at the same time. And because followers of Christ have this light, we don’t have to keep living in sin and darkness. Our life should be very different today than it was before Christ. Our attitudes, our actions, our everything should be different.
 
Paul ends his charge to us with a call to give thanks to God for everything. If we fully understand the transforming power of the cross - a power that can take a person who is so opposite of a holy and righteous God and give them a personal relationship with God - how can we do anything but give thanks? Take a moment after you have read this post and thank God for his mercy and love and light. And then, go be that light in our world. Light always drives out the darkness; light always wins.