James 1:21: "Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls."
Occasionally–maybe more often than I'd like to admit–I have a little problem with vulgarity. In fact, it is only by the grace of God that the crudity of my younger days has been quelled and transformed. I cannot boast in this transformation, I can only praise God for the great work that He has done in me.
However, it would be incorrect not to point out that I did have a choice to make in this regard: I had to choose God. It was only after repenting of my sin and turning to God in faith that I was transformed from the inside out. And although it has not always been easy to commit myself daily to obedience, I can say without a doubt that as long as I have remained focused on God, He has changed my heart, my mind, and my soul, to reflect His holiness.
But there is something else about this: implanting the saving word of God requires a dedication to put away the filthiness so that the word may take root in our lives. The trick to overcoming vulgarity, it turns out, is not to attempt to manage but to press into God for transformation, which comes through the washing by His word.
Let us then commit to lean into God for truth and understanding but also so that God would rid our lives of al filthiness and vulgarity!
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