Focus
Prepare yourself to discern what is and what is not of God today. Still yourself so you can hear how God is calling you.
Read
The Old Life and the New
17 Now this I affirm and insist on in the Lord: you must no longer live as the Gentiles live, in the futility of their minds. 18 They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardness of heart. 19 They have lost all sensitivity and have abandoned themselves to licentiousness, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. 20 That is not the way you learned Christ! 21 For surely you have heard about him and were taught in him, as truth is in Jesus. 22 You were taught to put away your former way of life, your old self, corrupt and deluded by its lusts, 23 and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, 24 and to clothe yourselves with the new self, created according to the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.
Rules for the New Life
25 So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another. 26 Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and do not make room for the devil. 28 Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labor and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. 29 Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. 30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. 31 Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, 32 and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you. 5 1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children,
Reflect
When Duawn and I started dating, I had family and friends tell me that life would be different since I was dating a minister. I told them that it would be okay and that I didn’t think anything would be different. During Duawn’s ordination, Rev. Steve Mosley told me that being a minister’s wife would be one of the hardest roles I would play. I think my young, naïve mind had no clue what was to come. Our first year of marriage was tough for me. We moved ten hours away from my family and friends. And guess what, not everyone was jumping up to be my friend. There is an unwritten assumption that ministers’ wives are goody-two-shoes and that we sing in the choir and love to cook. Coworkers were hesitant to befriend me because they were afraid of judgment from me. I honestly think that they thought I would start spouting scripture and telling them that they would burn in a fiery pit because of their sin. As our first year of marriage passed, people started to see me for the real me and not just as the minister’s wife. I have hoped and prayed that they see me as Christ would want me to be and not for a specific title.
Pray
Lord, may we look to see Christ in others and to be Christ-like to others in our love and actions.
