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Verse 11 specifically grabbed my attention this week as I was pondering: “And do this, understanding the present time: The hour has already come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”
Here are some things that are true about our present time:
- According to Pope Francis you no longer have to believe in God to go to heaven.
- The Oxford Dictionary has changed its definition of marriage so that it no longer is defined by one man married to one woman.
- One of the top Emmy Award winners this past week (Breaking Bad) makes a hero out of a methamphetamine maker/dealer.
- The Obama Health Care Act is a joke.
- The Middle East is a powder keg with what is happening in Syria and Egypt.
- Americans seem to be fascinated with vampires and zombies.
- Social networking has redefined how we “do relationships”.
- Our government run education system has crippled teachers to the point where teaching has become more of a chore than a passion.
- Christianity is viewed by many as something that imprisons people rather than sets them free.
Paul is admonishing his Roman friends to understand the times that they live in. The same is true for us. When we begin to understand our world then we realize that now is not the time to rest and take it easy. Now is the time to WAKE UP and be about the Father’s business. Now is the time to DO SOMETHING. We must work with the end in mind because as he says, “Our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.”
What are my action steps in light of this pondering: 1) I’m going to become more a student of our times – I don’t want to be a news junkie but I do want to better understand the world that we live in. 2) I’m going to figure out one thing that I can do that will give some indication that I am not asleep on my watch. Not sure yet what that will look like but something practical in response to my better understanding. 3) Spend some more time pondering verse 12 – which is a great thought to leave with you…
“The night is nearly over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.”
Next Week’s Passage: Romans 14: 1-8
Memory Verses: Romans 8:1-32