Yesterday I put out the challenge for us all to be an example for someone else. To be a good example our lives must contain qualities that others would admire. If any of you are like me, there are some bad qualities that we must rid ourselves of before the good can shine through. Kind of like cleaning an extremely dirty light fixture to let light shine through and chase away shadows in a dark room. This chapter in Colossians shows us the things that we need to totally remove from our lives.
"We should consider ourselves dead and unresponsive to sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires, and greed. Just like diseased limbs of a tree, these practices must be cut off before they destroy us. We must make a conscious, daily decision to remove anything that supports or feeds these desires and to rely on the Holy Spirit's power." (This is from the footnotes of a Life Application Bible.)
Are any of these a problem in your life today? Does your job put you in a place where sexual immorality, impurity or lust have become a part of you daily life? Does staying at home increase opportunities for evil desires and greed to occupy your mind or habits? These sins can destroy us and those around us. These particular sins often hurt groups and churches more than any others. I must confess to you that in this list,at this time in my life, greed would be the one of which I am most guilty. It hurts to realize, and confess, that selfishness is an ongoing battle in my life. I know that I must cut it off and get it out of the way before I can become an "example" for someone else's life.
Take time today to identify the sin from this list that may be standing in the way of your being an example in your office, in your home, or maybe both. Confess it, repent of it and remember, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)
Tomorrow I want to share another verse of sins that may be in the way of our being an example for others, and on Friday we will look at a verse of things to "put on" that will allow us to be "shining examples" for those around us.