PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS
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What are you struggling to move on from in your day-to-day life or in your pattern of thinking? We all struggle to say goodbye to the old ways of the flesh and to the ideas that were sowed into our early ways of thinking. In the next section of Ephesians chapter four that we are working through, we will encounter a call from the Lord to shift our attention from focusing exclusively on the area of change we are desperate to experience to a new way of living.
Read the following passage and listen for the call to pursue that which is better.
25 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. 26 “In your anger do not sin” : Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27 and do not give the devil a foothold.
28 Anyone who has been stealing must steal no longer, but must work, doing something useful with their own hands, that they may have something to share with those in need.
29 Do 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.
(Ephesians 4:25-29 NIV11)
Pursue truthfulness…
In verse 25 we hear a call to do more than simply not tell lies. Instead of focusing on the cessation of a sinful habit or pattern of thinking, the follower of Christ is challenged to seek to live out their new identity as a child of God as they pursue the more noble goal of becoming someone who speaks the truth.
To add more significance to this call to become a person who speaks the truth, the follower of Christ is challenged to see that speaking the truth within the church is a way to honor the Body of Christ. Essentially, we are being challenged to worship the Lord by seeking to be people of integrity and truth-telling.
Anger issues…
In verses 26-27, we are likewise challenged to do more than simply avoid uncontrollable anger. Yes, it is true that the Lord does not want us to allow our anger to lead us into sin as we allow our emotions to get the best of us. But the reason given for this daily pursuit of peace in the home is made plain in the words, “and do not give the devil a foothold.”
It is clear that allowing our anger issues to spill over into our speech and into our actions does more than hurt relationships and damage our reputations. Such uncontrollable expressions of anger allow the enemy to find purchase in our lives.
We do the devil’s work when we hold onto anger and bitterness and allow our hurts to hurt others through our words and actions. We need to keep short accounts with one another so that we do not fall into the trap of resentment.
Be productive…
A great example of what it means to pursue becoming someone better rather than focus only on the problem to be avoided can be found in the message concerning stealing. The one who once thought that theft was acceptable must change their thinking to be in alignment with that of the Lord. Stealing is not God’s will for his people. That seems clear and unambiguous.
But the former thief is challenged to take up the call to live out their new identity as followers of Christ as they seek to become people who work hard and provide for their own needs and the needs of others. This shift toward being a productive and generous follower of Christ makes the old habit of stealing fade into obscurity.
Build others up…
In verse 29, we hear another great example of how good it is to focus on becoming the person that the Lord has made us into through the work of Jesus Christ. As we seek to become the kind of people who lift others up, we stop seeking to tear them down. As we seek to become people who encourage, we stop being critical and difficult.
Saying yes to the call of the Lord to live out your new identity in Christ is the best way to say goodbye to those old destructive habits and patterns of thinking.
- What is the Lord calling you toward today?
- Who will you prayerfully ask the Lord to help you become as you go out into the world around you?
In Christ,
Ryan Laden
PASTOR RYAN LADEN
Works at MTN. CHURCH
Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church
Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary
Studied at Baylor University
Studied at Texas Tech University
Went to Castle Hills First Baptist
Copyright © 2024 Ryan Laden – All Rights Reserved.
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