ARE YOU STILL HOLDING ON TO THE PAST?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer 
live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. They are 
darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because 
of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. 
Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality 
so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed. 
(Ephesians 4:17-19)

MEDITATION:
When Paul was writing to the Gentiles, 
he said that they ‘must no longer live as the Gentiles do’.
Sound confusing?
His letter was to the Christian Gentiles, 
and he was reminding them that they now have a new life in Christ.

Before they were saved, they experienced a lot of futility and frustration.
Why? 
Because they had hardened their hearts.
What exactly does ‘hardening hearts’ mean?
It is when we, become rebellious, self-centered, stubborn, hard-headed, 
have a lack of respect for authority, insensitive to the Holy Spirit, 
refuse to listen to sound advice from others, etc.

It is a condition that robs us of peace in our lives.
As a result, our thinking becomes disarrayed, 
and we struggle in our efforts to find happiness and peace.
We think (like the unsaved Gentiles) that ‘having fun’ will provide 
fulfillment, so we engage in all kinds of activities 
that are not pleasing to God.

We might find temporary relief from frustrations, 
but we are still left empty and searching for real happiness and peace.
As our futility continues, we become greedy in our selfishness 
as we strive to find some level of satisfaction in our lives.

There are at least a couple of problems with our efforts and attitudes.
As long as we allow ‘pleasing ourselves’ to have priority over ‘pleasing God’, 
we will continue to be frustrated and engage in all kinds of activities 
that are impure in God’s eyes.
We can become so overwhelmed with feelings of guilt that we are depressed.

Secondly, the things we do affects those closest to us.
How many times have we seen a child mimicking the activity of their parents?
If they see their parents engaged in activities forbidden by God, 
then they often become involved in illicit activities, 
and sometimes to a larger degree.

For instance, if a child know his or her parent is having sex outside of 
marriage, then it is not unusual for them to think 
it is okay for them to do the same thing.
This creates a path for them ‘away from God’ instead of ‘toward God’, 
and can cause them to ‘harden their hearts’ at an early age and lose 
their childlike sensitivity of listening to anything related to the Lord.

As a result, some may never be saved and God holds parents 
accountable for the negative effect they have on their children.
If we have failed our children, it is not time for creating a pity party for
ourselves, but rather a time to pray diligently, and ask the Lord to give us
the wisdom to discuss our failures with our children 
and explain how God has changed us.

It is certainly not a time to ‘write off’ our children 
as hopeless due to their failures.
God doesn’t give up on us when we fail, but He desires the best for us.
It is impossible for us to ‘unscramble an egg’ in our own strength and 
wisdom, but we can pray and trust in the Lord to do the impossible.

ACTION:
Just as Paul told the Galatians, when you are saved, 
you don’t have to continue living a life of futility as you have in the past.
In fact, he says that you ‘must no longer live as the Gentiles do’.
It is not a suggestion, but a command.
Changes don’t come easy, but the rewards are worth the effort.

If you refuse to allow the Holy Spirit to guide you into a new life 
devoid of selfishness, but filled with a desire to please God, 
then you are guilty of ‘hardening your heart’.
Making God ‘fit’ your lifestyle is never going to work; 
you have to ‘fit’ your lifestyle to what pleases Him.

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me for holding on to those things that displease 
You. Forgive me for focusing on what pleases me, instead of what pleases 
You. Forgive me if my actions have negatively affected my children. Help 
me to surrender my life to You completely so that others, including my 
children, will know that I am a changed person. I pray that my change will 
be from the inside out with a sincerity that is more than just words. Show 
me how to no longer live as I did before You saved me.”

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