Ephesians 4:1

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,

     As I was standing around at a shopping center, there was a lady who passed by me repeatedly. As she continued to pass by, and odd thing happened. The first time she came by, we both intentionally avoided eye contact. Yet after the third time, we felt content making eye contact, and maybe even a quick nod. After a fifth pass, we were comfortable enough with one another to smile. Just by getting used to one another’s presence we were able to become comfortable with one another.

     What caused this change of events? Why did we go from ignoring one another to showing good cheer to one another? It was familiarity. The more familiar we were with one another, the more comfortable we were with eye contact. We were no longer really strangers. A rapport (however slight) was built up. This actually happens with many things in our lives. The more familiar we get with something, the more comfortable we are with it. Since this lady and I, because of the things we were doing, were forced to become familiar, we were able to break down that wall.

     This has a very important spiritual application. Often times it is difficult for us to try new things. Yet when we become Christians, our lives are full of new experiences. We now are required to walk a life we are not at all used to. These do not stop soon after conversion, but instead, we are forced to change repeatedly throughour our Christian walk. Each time we do, it feels uncomfortable. Think about how uncomfortable it was or can be to start a consistent prayer routine or to make yourself be social with other members at church. It can be weird for us to sit down and open our Bible to study, or for us to refrain from habits that we have built up over the years. However, if we can just force ourselves to get through those first few awkward exchanges, we will bring a smile to the tasks that the Lord has required of us. 

Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called,