Wednesday, July 8, 2026
“Those who have
been born into God’s family do not make a practice of sinning, because God’s
life is in them. So they can’t keep on sinning, because they are children of
God.” (1 John 3:9, New Living Translation)
Last week, our
internet service went down, and it stayed down for a WHOLE day, almost 24
hours, in fact. What a pain! Normally I
spend a lot of my day on my little Chromebook. I have fields to plow, towns to build,
rubies to find, islands to explore. Those are my routine games which I play
each and every day. But I also read the news
on-line. I read my sports pages on-line. I read the comics on-line. I manage my
fantasy baseball team on-line. I read the Globe and Mail on line. I do several puzzles on line. So, my world came
to an annoying halt when there was no internet. I worked on my jigsaw puzzle or solved some
Sudoku puzzles in a puzzle book. But by the end of the day, I was feeling a little
testy and anxious, fearful that the internet still wouldn’t be back in the
morning. I wasn’t sure I could last another day without it. But Hallelujah! It
was on and life got back to “normal.”
But it raised a
question as to my dependency upon my daily interaction with my computer. There
has been quite a bit written recently encouraging us to get off our devices and
re-enter the physical world around us. Talk to a real person or two. Enjoy a walk.
(It drives me crazy to sees someone taking their dog for a walk and talking on
the phone at the same time.) Look at nature. Read a book. Go to a movie and sit
with other people. Have a visit with someone and have a real conversation. The
internet is a wonderful invention connecting us throughout the world. It isn’t going
to go away. But a little moderation may do us some good.
The words “habits”
or “addictions” do not really appear in the bible. The closest we come is the
use of the word “practices.” We’re exhorted
to avoid practicing the wrong things and instead practice the right things. The
Torah is very specific on what practices the Israelites were to avoid. The
consequences of disobedience were dire. “You must keep all my decrees and
regulations by putting them into practice; otherwise, the land to which I am
bringing you as your new home will vomit you out.” (Leviticus 20:22) Jesus
is a little gentler but stays the course: “But even more blessed are all who
hear the word of God and put it into practice.” (Luke 11:28)
The Apostle Paul is
very helpful and articulate as to what Christians should and should not practice.
“Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything
you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
(Philippians 4:9) He gave us some very insightful contrasts between what is
good to practice and what needs to be avoided. “It is obvious what kind of
life develops out of trying to get your own way all the time: repetitive,
loveless, cheap sex; a stinking accumulation of mental and emotional garbage;
frenzied and joyless grabs for happiness; trinket gods; magic-show religion;
paranoid loneliness; cutthroat competition; all-consuming-yet-never-satisfied
wants; a brutal temper; an impotence to love or be loved; divided homes and
divided lives; small-minded and lopsided pursuits; the vicious habit of
depersonalizing everyone into a rival; uncontrolled and uncontrollable
addictions; ugly parodies of community. I could go on.” (Galatians 5:19
-21, The Message bible) I am glad that he didn’t go on. I can almost hear him
saying “You can stop me any time.”
But he did go on in
the sense of offering a vital alternative. “But what happens when we live
God’s way? He brings gifts into our lives, much the same way that fruit appears
in an orchard—things like affection for others, exuberance about life,
serenity. We develop a willingness to stick with things, a sense of compassion
in the heart, and a conviction that a basic holiness permeates things and
people. We find ourselves involved in loyal commitments, not needing to force
our way in life, able to marshal and direct our energies wisely.” (5: 22 -23)
Turning back to a
more traditional translation, Paul ends this section with these critical words:
“Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of
their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living
by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
(5: 24 -25)
I know that some people only think of Christianity in terms of the “thou-shalt-nots” of our faith. Those behavioural limitations are there, make no mistake about it. But as important, if not more so, are the blessings that come with the freedom in Christ to walk down the right paths of life. I don’t mean to make that sound holier-than-thou but rather to encourage all of us to live lives worthy of our fellowship with Jesus Christ, and indeed “follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.”
Prayer:
Our loving God, we always need your Spirit to guide us each and every
day of our lives. There are so many temptations, distractions and side-tracks which
grab at our hearts and minds that it can be daunting sometimes. So, help us to keep
our focus on Jesus Christ. Help us to follow him and shape our thoughts and actions
around his heart for us. Keep us from sin. Show us a better way. We ask this in
Jesus’ name, Amen.
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