Ephesians 5:18-20
Rebecca Lightfoot
Whether we appreciate it or not...,acknowledge it or not,there is always “noise” n our hearts.This “noise” comes n many forms,including thoughts about our wants;our stresses;our passions;etc.These “noises” have a definite impact on how we treat others;what we think of others;and how we ourselves are shaped into the “who we are” & “what we are”!These “noises” also directly impact the kind of conversations we have with those around us,and whether or not we have opportunities to have eternally significant conversations with others or not!This is one of the reasons that Eph5:19-20 says,”Speak to one another with psalms,hymns & spiritual songs.Sing & make music n your heart to the Lord,always giving thanks to God the Father for everything,in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”This comes at the end of the paragraph that begins with,”Be very careful then how you live-not as unwise but as wise,making the most of every opportunity,because the days are evil.”The implication is that we must be deliberate about what kind of “noises”/music there is rattling around n our heart!And that a the kind of “noises”/music there is n our heart will somehow make its way into our conversation and into the ways that we socialize.We are deliberate about what we allow to rattle around n our beads&hearts.We May not appreciate this truth,but is is a fact that we have at the very least some component of responsibility for what kind of music there is n our heart!If we only make the initial decision to discipline the initial “channel select” for what kind of “noises”/music we tune our hearts to,Jesus can be trusted to make the music come in clearer and stronger...,so our lives can be encouraged and changed from the inside out by His Word and His Spirit(Eph5:18b,”Instead be filled with the Spirit.”).What we tune our hearts to will have impact on how we shape our attitude;our emotional state;our conversations;the state of our “hope”;the condition of our relationships with those around us,& even more significantly the state of our relationship with The Lord.Dear Lord,I seldom appreciate the significance of the “noises”/music going on n my heart/mind/life.Help me to be aware of these...and help me to trust Your Help to deliberately “change the channels” to select the noises/music that Your Word&Your Spirit have given us to sing to and to hope on and to trust in...& may these things be what drum the beat and strum the strings of my heart...my head and my life.