Ephesians 4:25–28 (ESV) —
25 Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. 26 Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, 27 and give no opportunity to the devil. 28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.
NOTE: In these three examples of "put off and put on," we see that it is not enough to just stop doing something, we need to replace it. The best examples are those that directly deal with the sin. Stealing requires the use of your hands (most notably), but so does sharing with others. Also stealing takes away, but sharing gives away. These are the best examples, exact opposite actions.
What is my struggle that I need to let go, and what is the exact opposite action? Sometimes, the problem is too much free time. In that case, you need to fill it up. That usually is not the problem for most people unless you are retired or just plain lazy. God created work, hard work before the fall and called it good. Yes, rest is also good. But too much of either is unhealthy. It then remains for us to figure out what we need. Do I need more sleep, more consistent wake up times, or more volunteering? I can answer that question for myself, but not for others. Each person will be different.
PONDER:
- What do I need to do to change my lifestyle?
PRAYER: Father, give us grace and wisdom to understand our own problems with sin. Give us your spirit to keep us from sin. Protect us from the enemy.
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