Have you ever crawled out of the bed in the morning, your heart full of anger, anxiety, or sadness, and you didn’t know how to overcome it?
Have you ever been in a social situation where you conformed to the notion, “When in Rome, do as they Romans”, and you compromised your integrity to feel socially accepted?
Have you ever been addicted to something (or maybe someone) because it (or they) provided the coping mechanism you thought you needed to deal with stress in your life?
Have you ever lost your temper and weren’t able to recognize it wasn’t the object of your anger’s fault that you lost your cool, it was your own internal struggle with patience, grace, or humility that caused the outburst?
If you have, congratulations … we are kindered spirits. I have been guilty of all the above, too.
It’s easy to do when you’re so concerned with the ways of the world, with how others perceive you, with the fear of being rejected, with the need to be perfect, and most importantly, without the true understanding of who Jesus is and what that means for your life.
**** Ephesians 4:20-24 ****
But you have not so learned Christ, if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
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I love that piece of scripture. To be honest, I didn’t always understand it. Not because I didn’t know who God was, but because I really didn’t know the purpose of my walk with Him.
Perhaps my favorite part of waking with Christ is recognizing the call to become Christlike. It means abandoning the life of sin we once lived in and saying goodbye to the people we were. It means we get to upgrade our lives to become people of sound moral character, humble hearts, and servants to others.
It means we get to let go of the things that bother us because we know God has a plan for our lives.
**** Colossians 3:5-9 ****
Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.
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One of the questions I ask myself now on a regular basis is, “Did I handle that situation the same way I would have is Jesus would’ve been the receiver of my reaction?” Similarly I ask, “Would I have said that differently or shared that thought if I was sending it up in prayer directly to Jesus?”
The reality is, Jesus is watching all the time. I know I disappoint Him on a regular basis. But I also know I make Him proud in how far I have come in learning to be more like Him.
Daily I go through my internal closet of virtues and work on discarding the self-centered ones so I can replace them with the ones that make me more Christlike.
As you start your day today, I encourage you to ask yourself, “Which self am I putting on today?”
SELF-CENTERED
- Aimless
- Angry
- Shameless
- Wearied
- Standardless
- Ignorant
- Arrogant
- Idolatry
- Darkened
- Hardened
- Greedy
CHRIST-CENTERED
- Purposeful
- Patient
- Obedient to God
- Renewed
- Devine Morals
- Spiritual Wisdom
- Humble
- Worship Christ
- Enlightened
- Graceful
- Generous
When we focus on becoming the things Christ embodied, we not only become better people, but the things we once needed for happiness are replaced as well.
All relationships, save for a relationship with Christ, are designed to end in death. All material things we covet are designed to deteriorate over time. All things we lust after provide only a fleeting moment of pleasure.
So what lasts? The peace that comes from self-reflection and letting go of our old self and putting on our new self. The more you grow like Christ and study His will, the more you will love who you become and the blessings He has for your journey. Added bonus …
**** John 3:16 ****
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
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