With the Lord’s authority I say this: Live no longer as the Gentiles do, for they are hopelessly confused. Their minds are full of darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed their minds and hardened their hearts against him. They have no sense of shame. They live for lustful pleasure and eagerly practice every kind of impurity. But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy. So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And “don’t sin by letting anger control you.” Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you. Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God. Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. Don’t participate in the things these people do. For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true. Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

Ephesians 4:17-5:14

Dear God, do I grieve you? It’s a question I hate to ask because I am afraid of the answer. I hope I don’t. I go back to the Isaiah verses from two days ago and I think about the part that talked about the Israelites’s rituals and annual festivals being disgusting to you, and I wonder if my rituals (even doing these prayer journals in such a public way) and the way I celebrate things like Christmas, lent, Easter, etc. are disgusting to you. I hope not, but I think think it’s healthy to ask the question in a truly humble and discerning way. Am I bringing you my best and following you as best as I can, or am I taking my own agenda and adding your name to it?

As I looked at what happened in Washington D.C. yesterday I can’t help but wonder about the individuals who stormed the capitol. If I were to sit and talk with them, what would they say about their faith? Would they claim your approval over their actions? Would they talk about their love for you? If they would (and I suspect most of them would), then which one of us is deluded–them or me? I think you would reject everything they did yesterday, but they think you endorse it.

And I have to say this. I saw a message last night from a San Antonio pastor who did about a two-minute prayer, but I thought the prayer missed the point. It asked a lot of you, but it didn’t start with personal repentance. It didn’t start with the church’s need to repent (and I mean the individual church as well as your church in America). It didn’t start with the individual’s need to repent. It just started asking for your guidance and blessing. In my mind, now is the time to simply beg for your mercy.

Father, I do beg your mercy on me. I beg your mercy for my family. You have every right to destroy me for the things I think say and do. You have every right to walk away from our nation and turn your favor to a nation (probably a southern-hemisphere nation in Africa) that worships and loves you. You are not impressed with our society. You are impressed with our humility. Help us to be humble. Use the pain of the last 24 hours, the last 2 months, and the last several years to move us forward. Make it count. Don’t let it count for nothing. Right now, it feels like the pandemic is counting for nothing. It feels like the social justice unrest of the last year is counting for nothing. And it feels like this political pain is counting for nothing. Please make it count, and help us, as your body, to turn our eyes off of political power and onto you.

In Jesus’s name I pray,

Amen