“Sold!” With that shout and the crash of the auctioneer’s hammer, one’s life became another’s.

That slave had to live to the glory, pleasure, and benefit of the master. Generally speaking, being a slave was not his choice. That condition was imposed on him.

Is that the relationship God wants with me?

“For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:20).

It could sound that way. But, no, God doesn’t not want us as slaves who have no say in the relationship.

God wants me to choose total surrender to Him — out of love, out of gratitude for what He has done and wants to do for me.

Does He see me as one who is His and who glorifies Him with his body and spirit?

If so, He rejoices. If not, He grieves.

Out with the old; in with the new.

Out with all the old!

I find it easy to excuse a little bit of evil because it’s just a little bit.

But as verse six says, “a little leaven leaventh the whole lump.” It doesn’t take a huge amount of yeast to affect a whole gob of doughnut dough.

So . . . .

“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump . . .” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

Looking at this from a different angle, sometimes I leave a small good deed undone because it’s so little.

The smallest act of goodness results in blessing way out of proportion to its size.

A smile here, an approving word there, a little bonus of kindness over yon — big blessings to God, the recipient, and the giver.