Clean Shaven

Colossians 1:10 – And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God. (NIV)

One thing I can do is grow a good beard. After serving six years in the navy and having to shave every day, I enjoy letting my beard grow now. My wife, on the other hand, likes me to have a clean face. So once last year I told her I would keep my face clean — for a month.

Now, I must admit that I did not keep my word on this matter. I only shaved once during that month. So I made a promise and I did not keep it. I gave my word and went back on it.

The scripture today tells us that we should live a life that is pleasing to God. As I look back on my conduct about not shaving, I see that I could also not be living a life pleasing to God. I had flat-out lied. Now this may seem like such a trivial thing, but it was a lie nonetheless. So I could not just write this off and think God would overlook it. I had to think just a bit, and remember that God calls us to be morally upright. I was not living the life God called me to live by lying — no matter how small that lie was.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, we pray that we will each live a life which is pleasing to you — a life which is worthy of you — and that we would live that life every moment of our lives. In Jesus' name. Amen.