Ephesians 4:1 “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.”
The dilemma of our sinful nature is resolved—we are born again. The scripture says we literally become a “new creation.” We view life from a whole new perspective as the “old” begins to pass away. Like the participants on the old TV show, Extreme Makeover, a few notable characteristics accompany our conversion.
At the conclusion of the program when the makeover is revealed, the changes are met with shouts, tears, hugs and laughter. An overwhelming display of gratitude permeates everything. These people are THANKFUL! In our self-focused society, we don’t like being indebted to anyone, but these folks know they could not look the way they do or have the house of their dreams without intervention.
They exude a new confidence. They are no longer ashamed of how they look or where they live. Friends and family join them in the celebration and together they rejoice in the “newness.” They want everyone to know what’s happened. Along with this, they all express a desire to live differently. They have a new purpose that entails making the most of what they’ve been given. So the makeover is not an end in itself; it’s a beginning.
If you’re a believer, do you still remember when you had your extreme makeover? I think sometimes we forget the exuberance of receiving new life. We don’t recollect the ugliness of our sinful nature or the multitude of repairs we needed in our house. Our gratitude and confidence can start to slip, and the once vibrant purpose becomes blurred.
The words of John Wesley are a powerful reminder of how we are to “live a life worthy.” May they inspire you to recall God’s call:
” Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as you ever can.”
I realize that may sound a bit extreme, but….