ohnpcoach Bible Reflections

Speaking words of encouragement

The graceful power of our conversations

In the process of studying about God’s heart, and the meaning of “heart” in the Bible, this morning I came across the passage in First Samuel 1:9-18 about Hannah going into the temple to pray for a child. She was so intense in her prayers, crying bitterly and moving her lips without sound, that Eli, the priest, thought she was drunk. He was rather forceful in his criticism of her, telling her how inappropriate it was for her to be drunk in the temple. She of course let him know that she was not drunk. She said, “I was pouring out my heart to the Lord….I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow” (NLT). And immediately the priest’s attitude turned 180 degrees and in essence he gave her a blessing, “Go in peace!” He then entered her world of concern and spoke these comforting words to her: “May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.” And apparently just as quickly as Eli had changed his approach, Hannah’s attitude and feelings changed from despair and discouragement to at least some level of peace and hope. She regained her appetite and “was no longer sad.” She left the temple apparently trusting God for the answer to her prayer (which, of course, happened when she birthed Samuel soon after). 

Usually when we think about this passage we focus on Hannah and how she felt, how she poured out her heart, how she prayed intensely for what she wanted, and the fact that God answered her. But this morning I was drawn to the priest and his interaction with Hannah. Once he understood her heart and the intensity of her request to God and her apparent trust in God’s ability to answer her prayers, Eli’s attitude and behavior changed. He saw her differently and in response he spoke encouraging words to her. His change of heart led him to speak words that changed how Hannah felt and acted. It was God’s love and power that answered Hannah’s prayers, but Eli had a part in Hannah’s story as he encouraged her faith and eased her distress.

My take-away – As followers of Christ we are priests to each other. Through the Holy Spirit we can enter the world of others and speak words of encouragement to them. As Ephesians 4:29 says, we may become channels of God’s grace to each other by what we say to our sisters and brothers. I want to be that way. I want to have the sensitivity and the love and the wisdom to say what will bring God’s grace and love to other people. May it be so, Lord, for all of us!

For more on the potential power of our conversations, see https://churchhealthministries.com/2021/06/03/a-very-personal-walk-through-ephesians-24/

ohnpcoach Bible Reflections

A Very Personal Walk through Ephesians – 40

Embracing God’s love for me

40. Postscript.

Where do I go from here? In looking back over my quiet time notes in Ephesians I see several convictions and prayers for growth that I want to occur in my life. My habit in the past has been to finish a study and go right on to the next Bible study or spiritual book study, forgetting the list of changes I prayed about making in the previous study. Therefore, I am making an intentional plan now to address these areas. Initially, I have a two-step plan, but I will be flexible in adding or subtracting to my plan as I see whether I am getting closer to my goals.

These are my Growth Goals from this study:

  • More awareness of God’s presence during the day
  • More grateful response to God’s blessings
  • Memorize key Bible verses
  • Keep track of prayers and answers
  • Live more intentionally (grace-filled conversations, use of strategies to fight temptations, looking for ways to bring joy to the heart of God)

And here is my plan:

Step 1

Use a small notebook (Bible-sized, kept with my Bible so I see it each day). Print the list above, tape it inside the notebook. Make a brief note each day on at least one of the goals listed.

Step 2

Ask a close friend to hold me accountable to pray about and write notes at least 5 days a week.

This feels very “mechanical,” but I have found that to establish a habit I must be methodical at least initially. And I have already thought of some creative ways of recognizing God’s presence during the day, such as imagining that each pleasant little thing I notice during the day is a post-it note that God has placed in my world to remind me of His love. E.G., a new bloom in my garden is a post-it note of His love; the parking space right in front of the grocery door when it is raining, another post-it note; a smile from my infant granddaughter, another note, etc.

Father, You deserve my complete love and worship, and here I am needing reminders of Your goodness to me. Thank You for Your patience and never-ending love! Thank You for the Book of Ephesians, and all You have taught me through it. Please continue to draw these images on my soul so that I become a more beautiful part of Your Body of believers. Amen. 

From the personal devotional notes of Peggy McKechnie, certified life coach and follower after God’s own heart.

Dear Reader, this post is the conclusion of the series on walking through Ephesians. I hope these posts have been a blessing to you. I would love to hear what you have taken away from Ephesians that has been encouragement for your soul. Also, would you be interested in walking with me through a series of posts on another passage or book of the Bible? You can respond on this post or write me at ohnpcoach@gmail.com. I appreciate your input. Peggy

ohnpcoach Bible Reflections

A Very Personal Walk through Ephesians – 39

Embracing God’s love for me

39. Peace, Love, Faith, and Grace.

Ephesians 6:23-24. “Peace be with you, dear brothers and sisters, and may God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you love with faithfulness. May God’s grace be eternally upon all who love our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NLT)

Paul opens and closes his letter to the Ephesians with prayers for grace and peace for his readers. And in between those two prayers he showers all those who have faith in Christ with the realities of how much grace God’s love has given us and how we can find peace in our relationships with God and each other. 

Looking back over the spiritual truths that the Holy Spirit especially impressed on my mind when studying Ephesians this time, the following are highlights for me:

> I have every spiritual blessing that I need. This passage reminds me of Second Peter 1:3 – “By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life…” I am very wealthy spiritually and God intends for me to invest and enjoy the blessings He has given.

> God’s love for me is unconditional and greater than I could ever imagine or hope for. This is a crucial concept for me to understand and thoroughly believe. Realization of God’s love for me is the starting point for everything else I understand about myself, my relationship with God and with others, my purpose in life, and my future into eternity.

> My identity is determined by my relationship with God. I am chosen, adopted, called to a special purpose in life, gifted for that calling, and pleasing to God.

> My greatest need and my greatest strength is to trust God. That includes believing what He says through His word — that He has the power to do what He says He will do and that He will empower me to do what I’m called to do and be. My greatest happiness will come from choosing to trust him and responding quickly to his leading (because I trust him to lead me in the best way). He has planned significant things for me to do; I need to trust Him and depend on Him to do them. My greatest idol is my own trust in myself and my abilities to control my life. When I trust in them instead of God, I am putting myself in God’s place.

> The importance of loving others and being united with others. The power of using words to build up others; God may dispense grace to other people through my conversations with them.

> Living intentionally and mindfully to please God and thank Him for His goodness to me. I want pleasing God to be my primary motive in all my relationships. 

> The necessity of having an intentional strategy to resist the evil one.

Father, thank You for these six chapters in which You have revealed the depth of Your love for me. I need Your help to respond with more than just temporary appreciation. Make me more like You, Father, and spread Your grace through me. Amen

Dear Reader, this series on walking through Ephesians will conclude tomorrow, June 25th. I hope these posts have been a blessing to you. Could you tell me in one sentence what your most helpful take-away was? Also, would you be interested in walking with me through a series of posts on another passage or book of the Bible? You can comment on this post or write me at ohnpcoach@gmail.com. I appreciate your input. Peggy

ohnpcoach Bible Reflections

A Very Personal Walk through Ephesians – 38

Embracing God’s love for me

38. Armor of God, Part IV.

Ephesians 6:13-18. “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (NLT) 

Concluding the 10 principles I found in the passage on the armor of God: 

7. Let God protect your mind by receiving the gift of salvation that God wants to give you. God has promised to make me a new creation in Him and to live in me. As I let Him transform my mind, I will know Him better and be able to distinguish between truth and lies.

8. Receive the Word of God and use it to defeat the evil one’s lies and temptations. The Spirit will give me God’s words when I need them if I am familiar with what the Bible says. My challenge: restart a memorization plan so that I can recall verses accurately, not just their general meaning, with their references, so I can easily look them up when needed. This will help when I am rehearsing God’s truth.

9. Stay alert. Mindful in the moment, reminding myself of these truths.

10. Pray at all times for yourself and for all believers everywhere. This is an important reminder to me…the purpose of God’s armor is not just to protect me, in my attempt to walk worthy of my calling. All followers of Christ are in this battle with evil; I need to be praying for protection and strength for all my brothers and sisters around the world. Paul specifically asks his readers to pray for him and his ministry, reminding me of the part I can play in supporting those who minister in my local church and beyond. 

In a recent conversation with my sister about the tragedy of so many well-known ministers falling into sexual sin, I found out that for years she has been praying daily for her pastor and his wife. She doesn’t just pray that God will help her pastor to remain faithful, but that he and his wife will have a deepening, satisfying love relationship. That’s the kind of pray-er I want to be. Helping to build others up and protect them by praying for them.

Father, once again I am aware of how much I need Your work in my life to survive the attempts of Satan to destroy what You want to accomplish in and through me, my family, and our church. For Your glory, give me Your strength to use the weapons You have provided and the grace to encourage others in their battles. Amen.

From the personal devotional notes of Peggy McKechnie, certified life coach and follower after God’s own heart.

Dear Reader, this series on walking through Ephesians will conclude on this Friday, June 25th. I hope these posts have been a blessing to you. Could you tell me in one sentence what your most helpful take-away was? Also, would you be interested in walking with me through a series of posts on another passage or book of the Bible? You can comment on this post or write me at ohnpcoach@gmail.com. I appreciate your input. Peggy

ohnpcoach Bible Reflections

A Very Personal Walk through Ephesians – 37

Embracing God’s love for me

37. Armor of God, Part III

Ephesians 6:13-18. “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (NLT) 

Continuing the principles related to using the armor of God:

6. Faith – Exercise faith when attacks come. This is probably the “weapon” I need most when fighting against negative thoughts. I have been trying to avoid the figurative language used by Paul to describe how we resist the devil’s strategies, but in this case, his metaphoric description brings the meaning home to me. Paul writes that I can “stop the fiery arrows of the devil” from hitting me when I hold up the shield of faith.  When I experience a negative, untrue thought, it feels very much as if I have been struck by a fiery dart or arrow. The most effective strategy I have found to fend off those thoughts is to repeat to myself that the thought is untrue, and that God loves me and is sovereign over all things that affect me. He has my back! I choose to place my faith in Him. I have to break the thought process that would naturally lead me to continue rehearsing the negative thought, by thinking truthful thoughts about God. I have found this “shield” to be very effective in “bouncing” the thoughts away from me. 

Exercising faith when attacks come takes some practice. Having an intentional plan is helpful. Ephesians 6:11 states that Satan has a strategy to harm us; therefore, I need to have my own strategy of dependence on God and use of His armor. In addition to the strategy above, I find that a physical response can be helpful; sometimes when an unwanted thought comes, I will say “no!” out loud (if I am alone).  Just vocalizing that rejection of the thought makes it easier for me to put the thought out of my mind. And then in my mind I think “I choose to trust / believe God, not this lie.”

There are other ways I can exercise faith. When we want to exercise our physical bodies, we look for hills to climb or weights to lift. To exercise my faith, I can look for opportunities to stretch my faith in prayer, believing God will hear and answer. I would like to keep better track of answered prayers; the more times I rehearse how God has demonstrated His power and faithfulness in answered prayer, the more my confidence and faith in Him will grow. Many times, God has answered my prayers and I haven’t recognized the answer or thanked Him for it. Perhaps I need to enlist another person to hold me accountable to grow my faith in this way. 

To think about: What is the most effective way for me to strengthen my faith?

Thank You, Father, for providing a way to protect myself from attacks from the evil one. Please help me grow stronger and quicker in my responses. Help me to recognize Your answers to prayer so that I can thank You, praise You in front of others, and build up our faith. Amen.

From the personal devotional notes of Peggy McKechnie, certified life coach and follower after God’s own heart.

Dear Reader, this series on walking through Ephesians will conclude on this Friday, June 25th. I hope these posts have been a blessing to you. Could you tell me in one sentence what your most helpful take-away was? Also, would you be interested in walking with me through a series of posts on another passage or book of the Bible? You can comment on this post or write me at ohnpcoach@gmail.com. I appreciate your input. Peggy

ohnpcoach Bible Reflections

A Very Personal Walk through Ephesians – 36

Embracing God’s love for me

36. Armor of God, Part II

Ephesians 6:13-18. “Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness. For shoes, put on the peace that comes from the Good News so that you will be fully prepared. In addition to all of these, hold up the shield of faith to stop the fiery arrows of the devil. Put on salvation as your helmet, and take the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (NLT) 

Continuing the ten principles derived from this passage, which began in post #35: 

2. The second principle from this passage is that I must protect myself by preparing to avoid or defeat the plan of the evil one. His objective is to get me to distrust and disobey my heavenly Father, the One who loves me and made me His own. I protect myself by putting on or using each of the weapons Paul lists. The verb forms in this passage indicate that the believer is to have prepared ahead of time for the attack that will be coming. I do this by embracing the following “weapons:”

  • Truth
  • God’s righteousness
  • Peace that comes from Jesus’ Good News
  • Faith
  • Salvation
  • God’s Word
  • Prayer 

3. Truth – I am to focus on and depend on what I know is true about God and about myself. First, I need to know what is true, and I learn that primarily through Bible study. The Holy Spirit opens my eyes and mind to what God is communicating to me through the Bible. It is also helpful for me to learn truth from those who have greater skills in understanding the Word through their scholarship, such as commentators, teachers, and preachers, so that I don’t twist the meaning of the passage to what I want it to say. 

I also learn truth through recognizing what God has done and is doing in the world and in my life. God has brought other people into my life to speak truth to me, often in small group relationships or discipleship/mentoring opportunities.

Once I identify truth, I need to apply that truth to my experiences and continue to remind myself of what is true. For instance, the evil one may try to convince me that I am not worthy of being loved, but the truth about God’s love is overwhelmingly demonstrated in His Word and my experiences. When I focus on the truth, I recognize that my negative thoughts are based on untruths and need to be rejected immediately. 

4. Righteousness – Part of the needed preparation to stand firm in the face of temptations is to receive God’s righteousness by accepting Christ as my Savior and imitating His righteousness by doing what I know is right. Being sensitive to the Holy Spirit and responding to Him immediately is an essential part of having a clear conscience, able to hear from God when He is instructing me on how to react to temptations. 

5. Peace – The good news that Jesus brought can bring peace to those who believe it. I no longer need to be worried about my eternal future or my direction in life. I can experience peace by fully trusting in God, not worrying about anything but asking God for what I need and thanking Him for what He has done. Then He will send me His peace. (Philippians 4:6-9). I know I am more likely to ignore Satan’s temptations when I am feeling peaceful, not anxious, so this is especially important for me to remember and practice. 

Father, please help me to practice these qualities and actions that You have provided for my protection from the temptations that would lead me away from experiencing Your love and peace. I need to walk with You every day, depending on You to help me stand firm against everything that pulls me away from You.  Amen.

From the personal devotional notes of Peggy McKechnie, certified life coach and follower after God’s own heart. You are invited to contact Peggy through ChurchHealthMinistries.com.

Dear Reader, this series on walking through Ephesians will conclude on this Friday, June 25th. I hope these posts have been a blessing to you. Could you tell me in one sentence what your most helpful take-away was? Also, would you be interested in walking with me through a series of posts on another passage or book of the Bible? You can comment on this post or write me at ohnpcoach@gmail.com. I appreciate your input. Peggy

ohnpcoach Bible Reflections

A Very Personal Walk through Ephesians – 35

Embracing God’s love for me

35. Armor of God, Part I

Ephesians 6:10-12. A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places. (NLT)

I am going to take my time going through this passage about the armor of God. It is too easy for me to read it quickly and simply acknowledge the figures of speech but not apply the words to my life. This time, rather than considering each piece of physical armor, I’m going to focus on two aspects: 1) what are the truths behind the figurative language of this passage? and 2) how can these truths be applied to one specific issue in my life that has been a challenge to me? I have been praying about this specific issue and feel that it could be a form of spiritual warfare. I have had occasional, specific negative thoughts that, if entertained, can lead me to doubt God. I have been learning how to stop the thought as soon as I recognize it and I feel that God has been helping me to control my thoughts to be pleasing to Him. I am hoping that studying the armor of God with this approach will take me beyond each metaphoric weapon to a more practical and specific application to my life. [For readers of this post, I encourage you to identify an issue in your own life for application of these principles.]

There are ten principles that I have identified from the armor passage that I can apply to my life, particularly applying them to a specific issue in my life that needs to change. There is a lot of overlap in these principles, but they build on each other and strengthen each other. Each principle adds another layer of effectiveness in living the way God has planned for me as the Holy Spirit gives me “the desire and the power to do what pleases” God (Phil. 2:13). 

This passage directs me: 

 1. Fight this issue in God’s power, not my own power. I must be strong in Him. I am no match for the evil one, but God is. I need to recognize that I am entirely dependent on God for this battle and victory. I have tried and failed numerous times, proving to myself that I cannot change myself or win against this evil. But if I use the spiritual resources God has provided, “[I]  will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.”

Focusing just on verse 10 – “Be strong in the Lord and his mighty power.” How do I get strong? By exercising. This requires action on my part, including changing my mindset, clarifying my beliefs, and taking action.  Today’s English Version translates verse 13 as “So put on God’s armor now! Then when the evil day comes, you will be able to resist the enemy’s attacks…” I want to be strong for the difficult days that I know are coming. Right now, my life is relatively easy; but either age or external circumstances or both will challenge me sooner rather than later. This passage is a reminder of the spiritual warfare going on in the world today. I am naive if I ignore this fact. 

I know many people today think it is strange to believe that evil spirits exist. But I remind myself that I believe in good spirits (God, angels). Why is it any stranger to realize that there are also evil spirits? I am naturally more comfortable attributing the evil I see in the world to certain “bad people” rather than seeing it as the demonstration of invisible evil forces. But I know that’s not the whole of reality. And I don’t know if my negative thoughts are coming from the evil one or from my own self-centered brain, but I know at least that when I dwell on negative thoughts that are not true, I am stepping into the devil’s trap and not trusting God. 

Is this recurrent negative thought like Paul’s thorn in the flesh (II Cor. 12)? Possibly. Whatever Paul’s thorn was, it was used by the evil one, yet God’s grace is able to overcome what Satan intends for evil. Here is a good reminder for me: Why didn’t God take away Paul’s thorn? 

A. to keep Paul from being proud

B. to demonstrate God’s power 

C. Possibly, to keep him dependent on God 

D. To demonstrate that joy can exist even in weakness. Paul said “I am glad… I take pleasure in my weaknesses” because God’s “power works best in weakness.”

I would like to develop the same characteristics in my life, even if they must come through a difficult experience.

Father, I don’t particularly want to think about evil spirits. It’s much more pleasant to close my eyes to evil and focus on love, peace, etc. Please help me to see the world the way it really is, and to be prepared for that realization and interaction by putting on the armor that you have provided for me. I am starting this morning by being alert and prayerful. Please make me aware of reality and sensitive to Your Spirit. And please make me strong in Your power, trusting You to do what is best in my life. Bring glory to Your name by Your power shown through my weakness.   Amen.

From the personal devotional notes of Peggy McKechnie, certified life coach and follower after God’s own heart. You are invited to contact Peggy through ChurchHealthMinistries.com.

ohnpcoach Bible Reflections

A Very Personal Walk through Ephesians – 34

Embracing God’s love for me

34. Children and Slaves.

Ephesians 6:1-9.  “Children, obey your parents because you belong to the Lord, for this is the right thing to do. “Honor your father and mother.” This is the first commandment with a promise: If you honor your father and mother, “things will go well for you, and you will have long life on the earth.” Fathers (or Parents), do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.” 

“Slaves, obey your earthly masters with deep respect and fear. Serve them sincerely as you would serve Christ. Try to please them all the time, not just when they are watching you. As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart. Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do, whether we are slaves or free. Masters, treat your slaves in the same way. Don’t threaten them; Remember, you both have the same Master in heaven, and he has no favorites.” (NLT)

First, children. My takeaways from the passage concerning children are 1) that I am to teach our children (and grandchildren when I have the opportunity) the same things I want to learn myself. Basically, it is discipleship, learning about Jesus and allowing the Holy Spirit to make me more like Jesus. And 2) I am to treat my children the same way God treats me, with love and encouragement, but also with instruction and limits. 

Second, slaves. I have read that many of the members of churches Paul visited were slaves. The slaves worshiped alongside of the freemen and were accepted as brothers and sisters in the Lord. All members of the church are first and foremost, slaves of Christ (v.6).  I’m not going to get into the deeply troubling history of slavery here, but I think it is legitimate to apply the principles in this passage to my relationships with my employers. Paul’s instructions to slaves help me relate appropriately to my employers. As a slave of Christ, any other person with whom I interact will receive the respect and service that I wish to give to Christ, whether it is my employer, a family member, or a neighbor. (Colossians 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus.”)

Father, please help me to serve others well, with the goal of pleasing You. Change my mindset so that I am intentionally serving You when I serve others. Amen.

From the personal devotional notes of Peggy McKechnie, certified life coach and follower after God’s own heart. You are invited to contact Peggy through ChurchHealthMinistries.com.

ohnpcoach Bible Reflections

A Very Personal Walk through Ephesians – 32

Embracing God’s love for me

32. What does it mean to make music to the Lord in your heart? 

Ephesians 5:18b-20. “Be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NLT) “…making melody to the Lord with all your heart.” (ESV)

The NLT rendering of verse 19 (“making music to the Lord in your hearts”) could refer to the songs I sing in my mind or those I sing out loud when I am alone, as well as when I am singing in a congregation. But the emphasis would be on soul-deep worship. 

The ESV wording implies energetic involvement in the process of making music to the Lord. According to O’Brien,* the ESV translation is more accurate. I am directed in Ephesians 5:19 to sing songs that build up other believers and that praise and worship God. But I am to do this enthusiastically, with my whole heart. Therefore, I sing with my thoughts (thinking about the words) and with my emotions. Often a meaningful hymn will cause me to tear up because of the combination of personally meaningful words and inspiring music. When words and music match in intensity and tone it stirs me deeply — to my soul. When I experience that deep emotion, I can turn its energy in the direction of God, praising Him for what is being expressed in that song. 

I wonder if this verse could also include more than just singing or what we usually consider as music. I wonder if there are other forms of praise that appear before God as worship. Expressing any creative or artistic expression, whether it is vocal or instrumental music, or painting, or artistic photography, or sculpting, or dancing…  Is it possible that if it comes from a grateful and worshipful heart it is translated into melody in the ears of God? 

Father, hear my songs of gratitude and praise to You. Listen to my songs of desire for You and confession of my sins. Attend to my aching laments and bend Your ear to my cries for help. Thank You for the gift of music and creative expression. You have made us as creative beings and we worship You through those efforts. Amen. 

*O’Brien, Peter T (1999). The Letter to the Ephesians. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans, p 396.

From the personal devotional notes of Peggy McKechnie, certified life coach and follower after God’s own heart. You are invited to contact Peggy through ChurchHealthMinistries.com.

ohnpcoach Bible Reflections

A Very Personal Walk through Ephesians – 31

Embracing God’s love for me

31. Living moment by moment in the moment.

Ephesians 5:15-20 “So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (NLT)

One more day looking at how to live in a way that pleases God, focusing on mindfulness.

These verses help me apply what I was thinking and praying about yesterday [devotional blog #29 and 30]. I want to live more intentionally, and that includes being mindful.

In my New Living Translation, the title for this section is “Living by the Spirit’s Power.” It is the Spirit working in my life that makes it possible for me to learn to:

  • live like a person who is wise  
  • make the most of every opportunity
  • not act thoughtlessly (without thinking about it)
  • understand what God wants me to do. 

All of these together describe mindfulness, being entirely present in the moment, not on autopilot, fully engaging with what is going on now.

A mindfulness reminder: now is the only time I can praise the Lord, the only time I can be in His presence. Not yesterday, not tomorrow, only the in the present moment. 

This passage draws some contrasts.              

Not –    Foolish , Thoughtless, Drunk              But – wise, understanding, filled with the Spirit

Where am I in each list?

What is the opportunity today that I can make the most of? 

What is the opportunity that I see ahead of me in the near future? How can I be prepared to make the most of it?

My take-away: In order to be intentional in my living, I need to be mindful, living in the moment.

Father, please help me to live fully in each moment today. I don’t want to wish away any experience just because I am anticipating something in the future. You will be with me each moment today. Help me to be aware of Your presence. Amen.

From the personal devotional notes of Peggy McKechnie, certified life coach and follower after God’s own heart. You are invited to contact Peggy through ChurchHealthMinistries.com.