New Creature

Therefore if any man be in Christ he is a new creature...

These words have been rolling around in my head a bit lately. Maybe it's because I've been trying to change so much recently; trying to become an early riser, trying to hold my tongue a little bit better, trying to be more active, trying to lose weight, trying to spend more time in prayer, trying to keep my house a bit cleaner... simply trying to change myself into the woman I have always wanted to become. I have noticed that I have changed a little bit. After 3 months of waking at 4:30, I feel like I'm sleeping in at 6:00! I am a little more active than I used to be, and I have lost 30 lbs. in the past 2 months. But even though I am trying really hard, I still find myself speaking my mind when I should be quiet. My mind still wanders during prayer time. There are dishes in the sink right now...

Old habits die hard. Changing the way you live is a daily struggle - changing who you are is impossible without divine intervention. And sometimes it's hard to understand why we Christians still battle the old man. He is supposed to be dead! How is it that a dead person still controls aspects of our life?

Maybe it's like this... If I were in a very close relationship with someone who died, that person would still be constantly in my thoughts. Everything I do would be affected. Even if I did not particularly like that person - if I was not sorry to see them go - my life on any given day would still be dictated by their memory. I was not merely in a close relationship with my sinful nature, that is who I was for 14 years!

So then, I know that God is still working on me... and instead of worrying that I'm not where I want to be, I should be focused on who I am in Christ. I am a new creature, the old has passed away. Praise God I don't have to be controlled by a dead man!

And I'll still keep on trying to change some old some old habits. Maybe I should go wash the dishes...

Dear Lord,
Thank-you so much for killing my sinful nature, I ask that You would make me who You want me to be. Help me to let go of the old man. Love your daughter... Jessica

^" Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)