Removal

Like a lot of people my age who grew up playing outside in the sun, I occasionally have to make a visit to the dermatologist and have him spray a bit of liquid nitrogen on my skin to remove the skin cancer spots. No one told me when I was young that this would be a problem. Of course, there are a lot of other things no one told me when I was young that I am discovering these days. The Apostle Paul told the young believers in Ephesus there were certain things that needed to be “put away from you” (Eph. 4:31). Other translations say “get rid of” these things or “be banished from” these things. The most accurate translation is the Holman Christian Standard Bible that says, these things “must be removed.” The word literally means “remove.” Now the things Paul was referring to could not be removed by liquid nitrogen, nor can some of the unhealthy things in my life. Living in the presence of the Son causes these unwanted features to surface. In fact, the closer to the Son I live, the more things seem to surface. If I’ll work with Him, God will “remove” these unnecessary things from my life. Now that I’ve had sun spots removed, this might be a good week to let the Son remove some other things. Join me?