You were dead in your trespasses and sins, in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience.

Ephesians 2: 1, 2

 

Have you ever followed the wrong directions and gone somewhere that you shouldn’t have? Maybe you were putting something together and decided to skip all of those directions at the beginning of the page that were obviously intended for people who possessed lesser mechanical skills than you. Or there was just going to be that one time that you would do that thing, eat that item, or indulge that thought; however, this was the certain thing, that especially addictive item or the thought that keeps leading you into a downward spiral of sinful and unproductive thinking. Life is filled with choices, and one of the most important ones determines who we listen to and where we go to access wisdom and truth that will frame the way we live.

 

Paul is helping us recognize the fact that once we know Christ we need to make the decision to allow Him to truly and completely be Lord of our lives. For, as people, we have spent our entire lives learning how to live in a world that is filled with images, thoughts, and direction that seems to work but that often tends to lead us continually away from the true righteousness of God. Christ wants to take us in a new direction; yet, I find that new directions can be uncomfortable, and it requires discipline and hard work on my part to stick with following them. Still, the rewards for those efforts are so great that there is nothing in this life to compare with them.

 

Christ has given us a new map, a complete set of directions, and a way to overcome the destructive habits that have caused us and others harm. His Spirit wants take the lead as we navigate through this day, and His Word has real answers to all of the questions that will arise during our travels. Even knowing all of this does not guarantee that the journey will be smooth and without side trips and interruptions. So, when the old maps and worldly influences start to take charge of my thinking, I need to stop and reflect on the peace, joy, and clarity of thought that Christ has given to me; then, from the perspective of truth and with the clarity of thought that Christ provides, I can thank God for the way that He totally loves me and allow His Spirit to lead me on from there.