If someone who is struggling with their faith and their daily walk is watching you, do your actions strengthen and encourage them or do your actions magnify any hopelessness or struggle that they are currently facing?
Boy, did that quicken something in my spirit. I think because I have been in a struggle lately with my walk. I do what I don't want to do and do not do what I want to do -- sound familiar? The Old Apostle Paul and I have a lot in common! Never in my life have I wanted to show the love of Christ in my life, particularly to those closest to me, and never in my life have I been so challenged in trying to do so. I've failed alot.
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29)
In order to live in the victory that Jesus Christ came to bring, we must put something off and put something on. We must put off defeat, struggle and lack of love and put on the yoke of Jesus Christ. It's a great parody! In order to be free, we must yoke ourselves to Jesus Christ and learn from Him through reading and studying His Word.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
IF we are going to live lives that are not only personally victorious, but also lives that reach others for His Name and for His Kingdom, we must put off the old man. When you come to know Christ, that work is done -- it is done! But as we live out this thing on earth, we need to renew our minds every day and constantly be putting on our new self. As a Bible teacher I just listened to said, "We have to stop doing some things and stop thinking some things that make us do some things." Amen?
Beth Moore tells it something like this. If you are married, you don't have to have a ring to prove that you are married. When you stood before your friends and families and that pastor and spoke your vows, you became married to that man. Nothing changes that. You are married. But everyday you put on a ring that is an outward symbol of an inward change. It doesn't make you more married, but it tells anyone you meet that you are yoked to someone else for the rest of your days.
That's what we do when we become Christians. We make the decision to follow Christ and He comes inside us and gives us a new heart. Everyday, however, we must lay down anything that causes us to not walk in that newness. As we lay those things down, we put on the new man and the things that show the world around us that He lives and He lives within us.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. (Psalm 143:8)
Every morning, we can have what we need for the day to walk victoriously and show Him as real to those who are watching. In order to live in victory, we have two things to remember -- put off and put on. Put off your old self and put on the new and live just as we are.
Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast - as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
Because Christ came, we are a new man! If we are living outside the will of God for our lives as new creatures and exhibiting actions and attitudes that are not godly, we simply are wearing masks and costumes. Let's live as we really are!! He has been sacrificed so we can live victoriously as the new creations that He made us when we asked Him to come in and take over.
The beauty of putting off and putting on is that whenever we are asked by God to put off something, it is because He has something wonderful for us to put on and we must make room! He has glorious and wonderful things that He wants for us to show forth in our lives, but if we don't put off some things and make room, we will never experience the abundance of those things He has for us.
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
Let's put off the masks and the costumes. Let's put on what He has already given us through His Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. When we put on the outward appearance of the new man, those around us will see the difference. They will not be discouraged in their own walk because of us. They will be strengthened and encouraged in their faith. Not only that, but we will walk in freedom, free of pretense, masks and costumes.
Blessings,
Dori
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