Pay Attention To What God
Says
John, my husband, and I just got back from our first real vacation in
several years. We went to Germany to visit family. While there a
comment was made about the saying, "when in Rome, do as the
Romans". The minute I heard this I reflected on how true we take this
saying, yet it is so contrary to what the Word of God teaches. I reflected
on just how much an influence our surroundings have on us. The TV and
music industries set the standards to most of the dress fashions. They
also teach us how we should act and respond to certain situations. This
brings me to ask the question, and I pray you'll be encouraged to do the same,
am I doing as the "Romans". We are aliens of this world, our
real citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 4:30). The Lord tells us,
"do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of
our minds ..." (Romans 12:2) - quite contrary to the popular belief.
Do you find yourself, your family, so blended into the world around you
that you now find yourself being of this world? Do you have to have the
latest of this and the newest of that? Do you find yourself keeping
up with this or you'll die if you don't have that? Do you give in when
your children cry out, "but everyone else wears it, eats it, drinks it,
rides it, is doing it!"?
Our heavenly Father, Himself, tells
us:
"My son, pay
attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out
of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find
them and health to a man's whole body. Above all else, guard your heart,
for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth;
keep corrupt talk far from you lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead,
fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take
only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your
foot from evil. " Proverbs 4:20-27 NIV
Take heed of what our
Awesome God is telling us here. He's given us His instruction manual for a
good reason. "Who is it that overcomes the world? Only
he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God." (1 John 5:5
NIV) May we be good stewards of this wisdom He has passed onto
us.
By April
Correia
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Have a wonderful day in
the Lord!
April Correia