Exodus 14:27 English Standard Version (ESV) So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as the Egyptians fled into it, the Lord threwthe Egyptians into the midst of the sea.

This is the only verse in the ESV with the word normal. It might not be the best descriptor of how many of us feel right now as we eagerly seek to see this cold spell behind us. It does however give us an opportunity to see further separation between we who follow God and those in the world. The Egyptians being those in the world.

The world tries to recapture us just as the armies of Pharaoh chased after their former slaves. God saved us from that life and we should be mindful of the life we now live with Christ and not allow the actions of the world to drag us back into their ways.

Going to the store yesterday was a real eye opener about the insecurities of those in the world. Panic buying wiped out just about everything in the store. Meats and cheeses and bread were gone. Milk gone, eggs gone, bakery goods gone and a host of other things that I was not interested in stocking up on.  All signs of panic. You would have thought the end of the world was at hand. They did not buy what they needed for just a few days. They bought enough for a month.

We did not panic. We remained calm and followed God’s instructions. “Go to a place I will show you.”

Now with my life “back to norm” it is the panic of the unfaithful that is upsetting. I don’t want to provide them with anything but the security I have found in Christ. They check their list and say, “Nope not what I am looking for.” Selfish desires never look for salvation. Panic moves them not faith.

2 Corinthians 10:5 English Standard Version (ESV) We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ,

Are emotions thoughts? We can act out of emotions without giving thought to what we are doing. Rage comes to mind, driven by emotions where we might not have given thought to them.

I seek to be peaceable and find it difficult where I am emotionally disappointed. Certain things just rub me the wrong way and they stem from disappointment in human behavior which are meaningless on the surface.

It began with pronouncing ask like the word ax. Our dictionaries have rendered the pronunciation of ask to include ax, not because it is right but in common use to the point of acceptance.

This is emotionally unacceptable to me to allow use to determine what is acceptable. It has happened in areas of life that have serious consequences. Abortion is only the most heated argument but there are others and can be emotionally charge to the point of not considering a reasonable conversation.

When we stop reasoning with one another we have stopped sharing truth to the lost. God said “Come let us reason together.” Does anyone expect to win that contest? None of us should shy away from reasoning just because we expect to lose the argument. I am not an apologetic and we have lost the best among us in speaking truth in love.

Who among us will take up the shield of defense that was lost when Ravi Zacharias passed last year?

Admire the talent and know a vital tool for truth was lost. Emotionally I desire a replacement for that talent. None of will get to be better at speaking truth in love by avoiding those moments when practicing it is available.

Speaking truth in love needs to be practiced in order to get better at it.