Vibrant: A Life Worth LivingSample

When a person initially becomes a Christian, an inside job happens that will cause that person to come alive in unseen ways. Sins are instantly and miraculously forgiven, which is an inner and eternal work. In the deepest parts of one’s personhood, an intimate knowledge of God is now found and the desire is quietly birthed to please Him with all one’s ways. The difference in one’s soul is profound; there is fresh purpose, sweet revelation, and the certainty that you are loved completely by the One who created you. Then comes the moment when the inner work must reveal itself in outer actions and words. This profound change is too great not to make a marked difference in the way that a person conducts himself or herself. This miraculous cleansing cannot just stay hidden but it must reveal itself for the world to see. The life and character of Christ, which is now in you, must come out of you. It’s time to live like you mean it! You will truly begin to live the life that God meant for you to live when you simply get rid of a few character traits that are holding you back from fullness, authenticity, and purpose. These attitudes and activities are never acceptable, they are never fulfilling and they are never Christlike. If we were friends and you arrived at my home wearing an outfit that was inappropriate for the occasion or fit atrociously, I would gently offer you something else to wear. So consider me your friend today as I help you with your emotional wardrobe. Perhaps there are some outdated emotions in your emotional wardrobe that you need to toss. Maybe you have some imperfect attitudes and habits hanging in the closet of your heart that honestly don’t look very good on you. You are going to love the wonderful freedom that you experience when you refuse to wear these emotional garments that are constricting and ill-fitting. Cleaning out our emotional closets is not always easy, but Paul offers invaluable help and surprising expertise in this venture. He even has a list for you to consider in the cleaning process in Ephesians 4:31. These are the things that you need to proactively search for and then dispose of completely and immediately. This is part of the discipline that it takes to live a vibrant life of incomparable joy!