Colossians 3:8-10
But now you must stop doing such
things. You must quit being angry, hateful, and evil. You must no longer
say insulting or cruel things about others. And stop lying to each
other. You have given up your old way of life with its habits.
Each of you is now a new person. You are becoming more and more like your Creator, and you will understand him better.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
There was a time not so long ago when I could hardly bear to look at pictures of myself as a younger woman. I saw
the “girl” in photos with long blond hair, a slender figure and tanned
skin, and I wondered, “What in the world happened?!” Despite Greg’s best
efforts to assure me that this 58-year-old version of “me” is totally
fine, these pictures made me a little sad.
But I have come to
terms with embracing the young woman in those pictures…and also the
“older model” in more recent ones. Because you see, I hope that the
woman I am today is more and more in step with who Jesus wants me to
be. And that is the goal – or at least, it should be!
The more I
know about Jesus – and the more I KNOW Him…the more I want to let go of
things like judgment, anger, jealousy, gossip, bad attitudes,
frustration, impatience, cynicism, skepticism, discrimination, and
more…and emulate Him as closely as possible. I want to focus on finding
joy in Him…trusting in His promises…and in the delight of sharing His
message with others. I understand that I will miss the mark
often…probably daily! But I keep trying!
There are still traces
of the young woman in this older model…but I hope they are the better
qualities! I am grateful that God has blessed me with good health and
energy, so that I can be the wife, daughter, aunt, sister and friend
that He has called me to be. I am thankful for opportunities to serve
Him – at home, in my church and community…and in the world at large. I
pray that He will continue to work in me so that I am constantly
evolving and changing…for the better.
What about you? Are you
stuck in a rut…still mired in the same ways and habits of your old,
sinful life? Or have you fully committed to becoming a new creature in
Christ? Have you embraced who Jesus is calling you to be…and are you
working becoming that person? Are you making every effort to know Jesus
better and to operate under the guidance of His Holy Spirit? Do you
like who you are today…and more importantly, does Jesus like this
“model” of you? Will this be the day that you let go of old ways and
habits and go “all in” for Him? Don’t you think it should be?
©2015 Debbie Robus
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