The Bible Edge
Everyone needs an Edge, Believers can have the Bible Edge
Ephesians 4:17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind,
Years ago, my dad worked it out for us to take a trip on a corporate plane. It was very exciting; we were treated like royalty. When we arrived at one of the airports, there was a big crowd waiting for us, so we thought. They had a welcome planned that was suitable for a rock star, but it wasn’t for us. It was an election year, and this welcome crowd was waiting for their candidate to arrive and incorrectly thought our plane was his plane, but for a while there we really thought that we were somebody. We suffered from the vanity of our mind. We built ourselves up, only to be let down by the harshness of reality.
Our Lord does not want His people, His children to walk in the “vanity of their mind”. He wants the mind of His followers to be based in reality. The word “vanity” as used in this verse means “what is devoid of truth and appropriateness, perverseness, depravity, frailty, want of vigor” (Strongs Concordance). As a simple illustration, think about the standard of living that a person has. If that person is a millionaire, there is nothing wrong with spending like a millionaire (although they may soon lose their millionaire status), but it is their money, and they can do with it as they wish. But if a person only has $100,000, they better not give into the vanity of their mind and live like they are a millionaire, for if they do, we will soon be visiting them in the poorhouse. After all, “When your outgo exceeds your income then your upkeep will become your downfall.”
In other words, be realistic, know the truth about who and what you are. I once had a football coach that constantly told our team… “We is what we be!” This is not a great example of proper grammar, but it sure did paint a picture. If we were a great team, our record would show it, if we were not a good team our record would reflect it. I think we were undefeated that year except for our final game. This coach's oft repeated phrase etched itself in my mind and has been a lifelong reminder that, after all, all I am what I am. Illusions of grandeur will not change who we are. “We is what we be.” Vanity of mind tries to trick us into thinking we are something else than that which we really are. Galatians 6:3 warns us about this: For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.
The Bible Edge for today taken from today’s verse is: Keep your mind real, realistic, filled with truth not fabrications of your own ego, appropriate on all matters, not filled with perversion or depravity, not weak but strong. Then you will fulfill today’s verse. There should be a difference in God’s people, and that difference many times begins in the mind.
William Howe, Ph.D.