Obedient Children

1 Peter 1:14 Don't lazily slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing. You didn't know any better then; you do now. 15 As obedient children, let yourselves be pulled into a way of life shaped by God's life, a life energetic and blazing with holiness. 16 God said, "I am holy; you be holy." 17 You call out to God for help and he helps - he's a good Father that way. But don't forget, he's also a responsible Father, and won't let you get by with sloppy living. 18 It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. 19 He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. 20 And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately - at the end of the ages - become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. (The Message)

This summer I had a chance to visit my brother in Florida. He very happily showed me that he had just bought a new turntable. For those of you too young to know that word, a turntable is what used to also be called a record player. I know, sadly, there are some reading this who do not know what a record is. It is a round, CD (yikes, another dated term?) looking thing made of black vinyl that plays when the needle of the turntable hits the grooves of the record. The turntable does not stand alone, it is connected to an amplifier and the amplifer to speakers. Many will argue that the sound produced by a record beats CD sound or even, or especially MP3 or digital sound. I describe all of this because of the first verse of this passage, Peter says to believers, do not be lazy and just "slip back into those old grooves of evil, doing just what you feel like doing." Like the record, once the needle is in the groove it spins round and round and plays the same sound found on each groove as was recorded on it originally. Peter says, when we didn't know Christ, we did not know better. But we know better now! Once we entered into a relationship with Jesus we became children of the Most High God, and as such, we have to be obedient to God. God can and will lead obedient children into a new way of life, which Peter describes as "energetic and blazing with holiness." Peter knew that God has asked of us to be holy as God is holy. Being holy does not mean assuming a posture or attitude of being "holier than thou" or looking down our noses towards those we deem as unholy; being holy means being open to and blessed by God, seeking the spiritual things of God over the earthly things that are not of God. Our relationship is thus, we call out to God and God helps us; God is a loving, good Father. But as children we should have an obedience to God. We cannot and should not think we can get by living sloppy, meaning choosing those things that are not good for our relationship with God. For us to be children came with a great price paid by Jesus Christ. The blood that Jesus shed, He shed for us; and it was not an afterthought, it was intentional. God loves us that much.

It is our choice how we live, but I would pray that we would take our relationship with God seriously, and choose the things of God for our lives. It comes through prayer, devotional time, Scripture reading, worship, fasting, making choices that bless us and others.

PRAYER: Loving God, may I bless You with the choices that I make today and all days. I don't want to slip into the grooves of sinful living, instead the spontaneous and wonderful joy of living as You lead me. May I be a blessing to others with the choices I make that help make me holy. I pray a blessing on our nation that we might indeed move forward to doing those things that will bless not only our citizens but the citizens of the world. I pray this in the precious and powerful name of Jesus, my Lord, amen.

Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!

Eradio Valverde