And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. Better for you to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into Gehenna, where ‘their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.’

Mark 9:44

Jesus says that we must be ruthless as we cut out sin in our lives. He uses strong language to emphasize that, if we continue in our sinful ways, we will be thrown into hell — a lifetime of sin will have consequences.

But we can choose to rid ourselves of this evil. Our actions matter; they will bring us into the kingdom of heaven. Every time we do something small in Jesus’ name, we are transforming ourselves into people who long for heaven, who want to be with God. You don’t have to worry about being good enough for God. You just must choose to be in Christ, to live connected to Christ.

In your quiet time today, ask God to shape your thoughts and words as you go about your day. Ask the Holy Spirit to be with you.