Allow Jesus To Provide You A ‘New Normal’
Word-Of-The-Day: ‘(17) So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking… (20) That, however, is not the way of life you learned (21) when you heard about Christ and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. (22) 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; (23) to be made new in the attitude of your minds; (24) and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.’ (Ephesians 4:17, 20-24)
We are not the same people we were when we graduated high school, as I look in the mirror and see the changes brought on by many years and the mileage that have been placed upon my body. Obviously, the studly young man who was about to go into the Army is long gone, and now the old guy who is now staring back is a bit bigger, bald, and the hair that is left has turned a few shades (well, many shades) away from the dark brown/black to a whitish grey. That guy who was gung-ho 40 years ago is now retired and is only gung-ho when someone calls him to the dinner table.
These changes are not bad, and some changes are actually for the better; due to cataract surgery a decade ago I now have 20/20 vision. I don’t have the worries or concerns as a young father as the children are grown up and on their own, and doing well for themselves and their families. The life I had growing up in Pennsylvania has been morphed into a life living in here in SW Florida, for all the good (and not so good) that comes with that. Life, though with the limitations compiled over time, is better now than it was then, but there is a bigger, better reason why life today is better, thanks to one change…
The best change is coming to Salvation in Jesus. Paul, in his Epistle to the Ephesians, discusses this in Chapter 4. Being a ‘Gentile’, or a non-believer, as we all once was, has a futility of thought, as Paul describes in Ephesians 4:17. Whatever plans, thoughts, or achievements accomplished prior to Salvation are meaningless, in the sense that they are done without God and without acknowledging His Glory and Majesty. Without Jesus, the accomplishments have no bearing on His Eternal kingdom, or will bring people to Him in recognition of His Lordship.
Paul states as someone who has accepted Jesus as Lord, the former ways of life – how and why we did things, and what we learned was right or wrong – are now futile to try to follow, but instead we are to live in the teachings that Jesus provides us, through His Word in Scripture and through His guidance via the Holy Spirit. When saved, we are removed from being ‘Gentile’ and are grafted into the family of Christ, adopted but given full rights and privileges as a fellow brother or sister.
When we accept Christ, the old self is to be ‘taken off’ and left behind. That studly young Pennsylvanian I was long ago, had many traits and ideas that seemed to be good and appeared to serve me well, but those were traits that were self-serving. The new self that was placed upon me by the acceptance of the gift of Salvation was from Jesus and is Jesus; no longer having the primary desire of selfishness but having the desire of serving Him, and being selfless, to share Him and His Gospel message with others.
Changes continue to come in the Sanctification that grows with the maturing Christian, as desires of old fade while new desires serving Him come forward. This new normal is to be more Righteous and more in tune with Christ. What often holds us back is that clinging to the ‘old self’, or things that can either drag us back or hinder our progress to be more like Jesus. Remove the things that is a drag on your walk and replace them with Godly things; pray continually, fellowship with other Believers, and be continually in the Word.
Don’t allow the old ways to be idols. I still root for the Steelers, and won’t pass up a chance to eat a pierogi or a chipped ham sandwich, unless it conflicts with being Righteous and following the Lord. I would not join a local sportsmen club/gun range due to their insistence of a Sunday morning introduction meeting. This went on for a couple months, before they finally decided to hold one on a Saturday morning, then I went and joined. I was not going to allow the personal desire in joining this club to override my commitment to Christ. The old self would not allow anything to get in the way of watching a Steelers’ game; the new self won’t allow a Steelers’ game to get in the way of serving the Lord! This is the best change of all – placing the Lord above all!
