CoCo Chanel was quoted to have said, "Elegance is refusal." Do you agree that sometimes, less is more? With an outfit, sometimes one piece of jewelry or one t-shirt can be better shown with a black dress or plain slacks. Sometimes, less in other areas can bring the distinct to light.
Are there some things in us (not necessarily in fashion) that, if they were not present, would show off who God is more? Some things in our hearts or some actions in our lives may not best reflect our Savior King, and in the case of this verse, some things lead to idolatry. The stunning thing about God is that He forgives us when we ask for it with a genuine, repentant heart.
There is an internal struggle that fights between flesh and spirit (see Romans 8:13). Through Jesus, our sins can be forgiven (Colossians 2:11), because of God's selfless love. Believers are forgiven and forever a part of God's family, yet God still works in us to bring us to an even closer relationship with Him. He works inside of us by the Holy Spirit's power, to put to death the sin within us and to fill us with Him.
Are there some recurring thoughts or habits in our lives, ones that dull or derail us from bringing honor to Christ? Let us pray that God reveals these things to us. We can pray He gives us the courage to remove those things from our lives. Let us bring glory to God in the process.
"Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk with the Spirit."
-Galatians 5:24-25 (NASB)
-Galatians 5:24-25 (NASB)
Lord, thank You for redeeming us. Remove sin in our lives that competes with us putting You first. Let us be a people who show who You are with all that's within us. Amen.
Above study based on the workbook HeartCall: Women Sharing God's Heart (Jaye Martin, 1999).
