MEDITATION:
Written by Meg Bucher, a contemporary author.
In Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, he is writing to them about living by the power of the Holy Spirit and how that affects their relationships. He said: “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.” (Ephesians 5:15-20) This is a laundry list full of things Paul wants the Ephesians to address. To follow Christ isn’t a burden, but these adjustments to our everyday lives can be hard to incorporate! The process of breaking bad habits doesn’t feel light, but the consequence of allowing them to continue in our lives is too heavy not to address them. One by one, Paul is guiding the Ephesians in the way to live a holy life. But there is one key component they, and we today, need to become more like Jesus each day. We need the Holy Spirit and His power in our lives. Making good choices, unfortunately, doesn’t come naturally. It takes effort to steer our hearts toward what is good and right in the world. “Submit to one another,” Paul encouraged the Ephesians. But first, we must submit our lives to the One who created us. James wrote, “So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” (James 4:7). Submission means to yield control to a more powerful authority…Submission removes us from the center of every situation. When we submit our lives to Christ, we give Him authority over us. Submission to the Holy Spirit means to pause and pray into the space He occupies in our hearts and allow Him to move and motivate us in the right direction. In our relationships, when we submit to each other, we are putting that person before ourselves… God created each of us with a specific purpose and plan to bring glory and honor to Him. His plan for us is a full life, and to reach it, we follow His will for us. To know which way to go requires daily submission to the Lord and to the wise people He has placed in our lives. We don’t do this with selfish motives but out of reverence for Christ. Micah 6:8 reads: “No, O people, the LORD has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” In order to accomplish this way of life, the Lord did not leave us alone but gave us His Holy Spirit, who is always with us.
PRAYER:
Written by Paige Deane, a contemporary author.
Lord, you are so good to me. I don’t deserve your love and grace but I am so thankful for it. Your ways are higher than my ways and your thoughts are higher than my thoughts. Please help me submit fully to your lordship in my life. Give me the strength to resist the desires of my flesh. Help me to deny myself, and relinquish all that I have, and all that I am for you. Destroy my attachment to this world so that I can fully rely on you in every situation. I want to develop a strong relationship with you and to be your disciple. Help me to continue to pursue this goal every day, and to help others do the same. I give my entire self over to you Lord. Amen.
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