Let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes

Over the years, I have come to understand one of the simplest prayers may be one of the most powerful.  God, please help me, I need it.

This prayer recognizes and calls out to God, admits my life needs to go in a different direction and seeks God’s help to make the change.  This prayer also establishes a personal relationship through a willingness to seek help from God and to try and do what God leads us to do.  Where will the help come from?  It will come from a relationship with God, by spending time in prayer, by reading the Bible to find guidance and direction, and from the wisdom of the Godly people that are placed in my life. 

In today’s devotion, I would like to focus on a portion of scripture that provides both guidance and direction for me.  These words come from the book of Ephesians, chapter 4, verses 21 through 32, with special emphasis on verse 23.  Please hear these words from the New Living Translation.

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.

Even though it might provide some challenges, the advice here is solid; tell the truth, don’t hold grudges, clean up our language, turn from bitterness and anger.  Be kind to one another, forgive one another, encourage one another, and through good hard work give generously to others in need.

These words sound good and sound easy, but in reality it can be an impossible challenge for me to follow through on this because it is not in my nature to always be so nice and forgiving.  Let’s go back to that simple prayer, “God, please help me, I need it.”  There, I have admitted the truth, I need help, but where will I find it?  Verse 23 from today’s scripture gives us the guidance we seek, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  I need help and that help will come through the works of the Holy Spirit if I will just slow down my nature and follow the guidance of the Holy Spirit.  The more I do it, the easier it becomes but it requires daily attention because my sinful nature is always there.  I try to set aside daily time for reading the Bible but will readily admit I don’t accomplish this every day.  I try to pray every day, and I find this is not only easier but very helpful.  And I try to listen to the wisdom of the Godly people in my life, and yes, not all the people in my life are full of Godly wisdom.  These are things I can focus on each day.

When the Apostle Paul wrote the scripture we read today nearly two thousand years ago, he wrote it as a letter to the people of the churches in the city of Ephesus (in modern day Turkey).  It does not appear he was addressing a specific problem in that church but was providing them with encouragement and Godly wisdom to deal with the daily problems they faced.  These same words apply to us with today’s problems, my daily problems, my daily challenge to let the Spirit renew or change my thoughts and attitudes.  To remember to love and forgive others, because God loves and has forgiven me.

Let us pray. 

God, please help me, I need it.  Thank you for sending your Holy Spirit to renew my thoughts and attitudes, daily.  Amen.

 

This devotional was written and read by Owen Ragland.

Grace for All is a daily devotional podcast produced by the members of the congregation of First United Methodist Church in Maryville, Tennessee. With these devotionals, we want to remind listeners on a daily basis of the love and grace that God extends to all human beings, no matter their location, status, or condition in life.

If you would like to respond to these devotionals in any way, we would enjoy hearing from you. Our email address is: podcasts@1stchurch.org.

First United Methodist Church is a lively, spirit-filled congregation whose goal is to spread the message of love and grace into our community and throughout the world. We are located on the web at https://1stchurch.org/.