Haleakala Sunrise
“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 NIV).
Paul tells us that through our faith in Jesus we have changed. It’s time to put off that old self, that life filled with the pursuit of lust, greed, revenge, power, recognition and all kinds of sinful endeavors.
Here’s the real question. How do we change? Every battle begins in the mind. We must change the way we think and react to the world around us. If we are believers, God has already given us the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control. We received all of this when we received the Holy Spirit. God wouldn’t ask us to change if it was impossible. Nor would He ask us to do something without giving us the proper tools to complete the job to His satisfaction. Now we can put the gifts of the Spirit to work.
Take a deep look into yourself. Is there any of that ‘old self’ attitude hanging around? If there is, you can be made new by changing the way you think. Use love to cover a multitude of judgments. Use joy and peace to satisfy the beasts of lust and greed because joy and peace in Jesus brings satisfaction and fills us up. Seek patience and forgiveness instead of revenge. Trust me, a person with an attitude of joy and forgiveness is more fun to be around than a person with an attitude of need, greed, and anger. Give it to the Lord. Always remember God is the One who said, “Vengeance is Mine.” Let Him dole out the consequences to someone that has hurt you. Move on with your life. Fight the desire for power and recognition by humbling yourself to show kindness, goodness, and gentleness to the people around you. Be faithful to the Lord and don’t abandon the change train you’re on.
And finally, invoke self-control. This is not the same as ‘will-power.’ Self-control is the control you receive when you let go and let God. This requires being in constant contact, through prayer, with God. Keep the conversation going with Him all hours of the day. If you wake up at night, regard that as a call to worship.
Instead of lying in bed and staring at the ceiling, get up and get into the Word. If nothing else, choose this Scripture and start writing it out. Write all the way to the end of the chapter, Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Cling to the Lord and He will change your attitude toward others.
For today let the attitude of your mind and your heart be renewed with the humble servant attitude displayed by Jesus. As today’s verse reminds us, we were created to be like Jesus in true righteousness and holiness.
Father God, You are the One who knows me through and through. Search my heart and my head to reveal any sin in me so that I can confess it and ask forgiveness. Lead me in the way everlasting. Amen.
This is an excerpt from the forty-day devotional, “Attitude Matters”. Click here to order.
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