Day 155

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Ephesians 4:28

 "Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth."

 

In Ephesians 4:28, Paul said the man who is a thief should not just stop stealing, but he should begin  giving. Stealing comes from selfishness. Practicing giving will replace the selfishness and strengthen us against the temptation to steal again. When we are set free from one thing, we are delivered to something else. We move from stealing to giving, from being bound to setting others free, from hating to loving, and so on.

We are blessed to be a blessing. God wants us to  receive, so we can have something to give. When we cease to function in our purpose for being delivered, we can backslide into the bondage we came from. Jesus said when an evil spirit leaves, if he comes and finds that his previous place has not been occupied, he will re-enter, bringing more wicked spirits with him. Refraining from doing bad things is not good enough. We must be constantly doing good.

 Jesus taught us to forgive. He said prayer should be offered for those who mistreat us. When we forgive, we replace bitterness with love, as we bless those who curse us and pray for those who hurt us. If we do not do something positive to replace the wrong feelings that came to us when we were offended, it  can prolong our healing from the pain. It can also  make repeating the offense more likely. We do not have to jeopardize our safety to do something positive for an enemy. However, we must be careful to do something. If nothing else is appropriate, praying for that person will suffice. Then, we can be led by the Spirit of God, if there is anything else to be done.

When we were saved, we were delivered from selfishness. We gave up everything at that moment, as we surrendered our entire lives to Christ. Shortly after that, the temptation came again for us to selfishly run our lives. If we became regular church attendees at a place where the Word of God was taught, we most likely received help in replacing bad habits with good ones. If we began reading our Bibles and praying, that should have helped us. Satan  will continue to test us to see how selfishly he can get us to live again. He will encourage us to look out for ourselves first and always try to  have things our own way. If we are going to stay on top, we  must not only refrain from evil, but we must also practice doing good.

Let us look around today and see what we have to give to someone in need. We can probably think of things  we have had around for years, like clothing, furniture, etc., that we have planned to use, but somehow have never gotten around to it. These are things we have to give. Let us do it. If someday we were to decide we could have used the things we gave away, we will be in a position to get them again. God gives seed to the sower and multiplies the seed sown. We will reap what we sow.

 

I will practice giving. I have received things to be able  to give. I am blessed to be a blessing.

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