Today’s reading is Acts 19:1-20:38.

“Also many of those who were now believers came, confessing and divulging their practices. And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver” (Acts 19:18-19).

A friend of mine once told me that when you want to change the way you play the game of life, you have to change three things: your playground, your playmates, and your playthings. If nothing ever changes about my life, well then, nothing ever changes. If I want to bring my anger under control, then I have to make some changes. Am I listening to music that gets me angry, watching shows, or even the news that keeps me stressed? I need to burn those things. Do I want to change my eating habits? Then maybe I need to change which restaurants I frequent. Am I trying to quit drugs or drinking? Then I need to not only dump out my stash but also the paraphernalia that went along with it and develop new relationships with those who aren’t involved in that life.

This is not always a matter of getting rid of stuff we can prove is sinful. I’m not sure it was absolutely sinful for these folks to own these books. In fact, it doesn’t say everyone did this, only a number of them did. In like manner, I’m not saying everyone has to get rid of everything I mentioned above. However, if something is my stumbling area and I want to change my life, I need to learn to burn everything that will lead me back down that path. I don’t do that because that is God’s requirement for repentance. I do that because if I try to change the way I play but I keep frequenting the same playgrounds, with the same playmates, hanging on to the same playthings, I won’t change. And I desperately want to change.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?