Beginnings

Good morning brothers and sisters in Christ!

"It's a great day to be alive!" (Some day I'll share the story behind that phrase)

Today's passage is Ephesians 4:17-32 where the Apostle Paul gave several words of admonition regarding how we as believers must live now that we have come to the saving knowledge of Christ. He covered a lot of ground as he mentioned several of the "sinful" attitudes that include our thoughts, words, and of course, our actions.

But, the Apostle Paul made an interesting statement after his introductory challenge that we should not live in the "sinful pattern" of the "Gentiles." The Apostle Paul stated in Ephesians 4:20:

Ephesians 4:20 You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. (NIV)

Ephesians 4:20 But that is not the way you learned Christ!- (ESV)

Ephesians 4:20 But that isn't what you learned about Christ. (NLT)

Ephesians 4:20 That is not the way you learned Christ! (NRS)

Somehow, this verse takes me back to the "beginning" of my "learning Christ." What are the "beginnings" of my (our) Christian journey? I mean, sure, what comes to mind are the countless hours I spent in vacation Bible school and Sunday school throughout my elementary and middle school years, not to mention youth retreats and weekly Bible studies. But also what comes to mind are those seasons in my life when I personally began to take my faith more seriously, when I began to really take to heart my desire to be and live as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

This season in my life began somewhere around the age of 18 or 19. Myself, along with other fellow "disciples" began to take our Bibles wherever we went, we would spend hours discussing Bible themes and tried to become as much involved in church as possible. There was a strong desire (and zeal) to invest time and energy in our Christian journey. This season of my life was no doubt formative in my Christian experience.

As the years went by, I noticed much of that "zeal" replaced with the "busyness" of "church life." Don't get me wrong, church life is essential. But that zeal to invest time and energy into the spiritual disciplines (Bible study, prayer, fellowship, works of justice and mercy, etc.) was now competing with career, meetings, social life, etc.

In today's world (more so), time has become ever so precious. If we're not careful, our agenda will consume our time before we know it and the day gone without us taking some time to listen to God through prayer and His word.

Somewhere I needed to recover that "zeal" from the "beginnings" of my Christian journey. It's not easy, but the time and energy invested in spiritual formation has certainly made the difference in my life. The beginnings of friendships, relationships, or marriage are full of zeal to enjoy time together. But somewhere in that process, that zeal can be compromised if we don't invest time and energy in strengthening and nurturing that relationship. The same is true of our formation and relationship with God.

May God give us the zeal to walk daily with Him and to make time each day to hear His words.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for this new week and for the desire that You place in my heart and mind to follow your ways. Help me to hear your voice each day as I pray and read your Word. In your Son's name I pray. Amen.

By grace alone,
Pastor David