Ephesians 5: 1-14

1 Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. 2 Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ. He loved us and offered himself as a sacrifice for us, a pleasing aroma to God.

imitate God in everything you do.. that is easy to say.. yet sometimes with me.. thoughts that surely are NOT of God just fly out of my mouth... I am serious as of being more conscious of things I say even when I don't mean anything... because those words aren't taken as I mean them.. instead they are taken as I sound... live a life filled with love.. this is a pleasing aroma to God... I SO want to be a pleasing aroma to God.. really I do...
3 Let there be no sexual immorality, impurity, or greed among you. Such sins have no place among God’s people. 4 Obscene stories, foolish talk, and coarse jokes—these are not for you. Instead, let there be thankfulness to God. 5 You can be sure that no immoral, impure, or greedy person will inherit the Kingdom of Christ and of God. For a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.

I imagine if I would be called greedy... due to my shopping illness.. I have pretty much overcome the food illness.. (praise the Lord!!) but I still have that shopping issue.... I guess it is beyond time to get that under control too....
6 Don’t be fooled by those who try to excuse these sins, for the anger of God will fall on all who disobey him. 7 Don’t participate in the things these people do. 8 For once you were full of darkness, but now you have light from the Lord. So live as people of light! 9 For this light within you produces only what is good and right and true.

how often do we try to make excuses for our sins... I think we do this far more often than we realize.. in my own life God exposed this recently to me... that I would have fallen into sin in a particular area.. and I see someone else do it.. and I don't judge them... because I KNOW that it really could have been me... and I am thankful that He covers me and doesn't allow me to do everything I want to do...
10 Carefully determine what pleases the Lord. 11 Take no part in the worthless deeds of evil and darkness; instead, expose them. 12 It is shameful even to talk about the things that ungodly people do in secret. 13 But their evil intentions will be exposed when the light shines on them, 14 for the light makes everything visible. This is why it is said, “Awake, O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will give you light.”

everything done in the dark comes to the light... isn't that the truth... everything is exposed at one point or another... carefully determine what pleases the Lord... we should think that would be easy... yet our flesh gets in the way.... intentions will be exposed... on one side I could be glad about that... on another side I could be afraid about it... many times our actions may be pure and our intentions not so righteous.... other times our intentions are pure but it comes out looking wrong...