"Therefore, putting away lying, 'let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,' for we are members of one another."  Ephesians 4:25 NKJV

God wants us as it says in verse 23, to" be renewed in the spirit of our mind." Being renewed takes time. Sometimes we need to be washed, or our minds do. We need to be washed with God's Word to gain fresh perspective. Only His Word will give us a clear understanding of His ways.

It can be easy to pick up the wrong ways. It comes naturally to us but to change our ways takes effort. We have to consciously engage our will to make changes. It is worth every effort to be more like Jesus. Basking in His presence restores us to peace and love as He designed us to live in.

Offended and afraid we become nasty and cynical. God doesn't want this for us and we certainly don't want it either. We become drained by negative emotions and exhaustion can set in. Don't allow any of these things!

Paul is speaking to the Ephesians because he wants growth to happen in their lives. Some of these things may seem superficial but we can all handle reminders of the basic way to live. As a father reminds a son, and cautions him to follow in the ways of goodness and truth, so Paul is guiding those he loves.

He is guiding them in the ways of love. When we care for one another we will tell the truth, speak kindly, and watch out for each other. It is the way of love. It is the way God wants us to live. How often do we see the opposite in the news or around us?

Regardless of what others might do, we are called to be different. We are to do what doesn't always seem natural. He are called to a higher standard. How will anyone know anything else if we don't show them?

 If you feel as if the natural will be blurted out, stop. rest. Take a deep breathe and let it out.  Then you can be in control of what comes out. It seems if we realize we can control our breathe we can control other things too. It works for me. Be blessed dear ones.