Replace Old With New

Since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.(Colossians 3:9 NIV)

Fast breaking news! This story comes from the first-century town of Colosse. Located on a major trade route from the East, a town known for cults. Paul urges them to replace- to put to death whatever belonged to their earthly measure.

A new creation

When you ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, believe He died and rose on the third day, and confess Jesus as Lord, you will be saved. You are a new creation. If you truly mean what you prayed, the Holy Spirit is now living within you. As we become sensitive to our new beliefs, we begin to hear the Holy Spirit guide and direct us. We feel the urge to go right when our flesh pulls left. We have to be determined. God is light to our path and a lamp to our feet. We tune our ears to hear. In Romans 10:17, faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the Word of Christ. The Holy Spirit is our teacher, counselor, and spirit of truth. He is one special friend to have. God’s strength helps us as we replace.

Replace the old

During this process, we replace old situations with new ones. The last conference I attended, I was told multiple times I had a quiet, sweet voice. My voice continues to resonate within me as loud. I have been loud. I can be loud. Recall…I am a reformed momma bear. Yet this is not what comes out of me much of the time now days. It finally occurred to me one night, God you have formed a gentle and quiet spirit. WOW! Only by the grace of God. God takes us and truly molds us to be prepared as His workman. Can you imagine, if God released to us when we thought ourselves ready, what a mistake we would have. As my voice decreases, God’s voice will increase through me as I step out to teach on this blog or to a group of people. I would not have understood this even five years ago.

Reflection

Are you willing to change? What earthly measure have you replaced? The problems back in Colosse are not different from areas around our nation or around the world. It is incredibly important for Christians to remove practices of our old self-put to death and replace with new. People watch everywhere we go. How will our attitudes/actions come across to others? Do they reflect God through us to a lost world?

These are thoughts for us all to ponder as we move forward. It’s Forward Friday! Let’s move forward in reflection to become more like our Creator.

Be encouraged!