We know that we were all born in sin (Rom 3:23), but each have the opportunity by faith in Jesus to break the chains of sin. Today, I came upon a Scripture that made me ask myself the question as to what rudder is driving my boat? “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thess 5:23) Generally speaking, we normally turn the order around. We think first of ourselves (our bodies) and what we want (fleshly desires). And because we are our focus, the soul (mind and emotions) acts on achieving success for our carnal selves.

Paul reverses this order, giving highest priority to the spirit and the lowest priority to the body. The spirit connects us to God and enables us to worship God and to fellowship with Him. The soul is the seat of emotions and makes us conscious of our being. The body connects us to our environment. We need to be kept faultless by God in our worship of Him and in our fellowship with Him. We need to be free of any legitimate accusation in our inner being and in our social relationships. “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled in the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy, and blameless, and above reproach in His sight” (Col 1:21-22).

When we become ordered as God created us to be in His image (Gen 1:27), then we are ready to allow Him to work through us to achieve the purpose for which He created us. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.” (John 1:1-5)

As Christ followers we are still here on earth to allow His light to shine through us to others. Although without help from the Holy Spirit, unbelievers can’t comprehend the light, but they can be drawn to His light and seek the Lord while He still can be found. So today, let us allow the Lord to lead us so that we can “let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven” (Matt 5:16). Only the Lord knows what He will be able to do through us who humble ourselves to His will, letting go of our own.