Begin with two minutes of silence and stillness before God.
Has the word of God changed you? Has what Jesus taught and did for us gone from your head to your heart?
I grew up involved in the church since I was born. My parents made sure of that. We went every Sunday and Wednesday. I was involved in all the children's programs, Christmas programs, Bible drill teams, and youth events. I carried that consistent church-going mindset into my adulthood, but it wasn’t enough. I would live the way I wanted to Monday - Saturday, and go to church on Sunday, and think I was good. It was an “I’ll sin today and ask for forgiveness later” mentality, which is not who Christ called us to be nor how we should handle His grace. I had the head knowledge of what Jesus did for me, but it wasn't reflected in my daily walk because it hadn’t gone to my heart.
As a guy who stayed single until he was 41, I can tell you I have experienced a lot!! As a huge Kenny Chesney fan, I love the lyric from his "Living in Fast Forward" song: “The body's a temple - that's what we are taught, BUT I have treated this one like an old honky tonk”. With the freedom of singleness, there come opportunities to travel and hang out with whom I want to when I want to, and experience the world. I have taken advantage of plenty of those opportunities and made a lot of memories, but I always knew something was missing. I was not living out who God created me to be. As verse 21 says, “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?
Sometimes in life, we need an event to happen to shake us up so God can use us for his glory. The event can be negative, such as a death in the family, illness, or an arrest. Or it could be a positive one, like getting a new job in a new city or a new friend that comes into your life. The event is different for each of us, but we have to recognize it and change when it occurs. For me, getting married at 41 and the birth of my son at 42 were the events that changed me for the better. As verse 6 says, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with.” I knew I had a responsibility now to live daily in a Christ-like way. It has made me a better husband, father, teacher, coach, and friend. Although I still sin daily in other ways, as we all do, now I'm not a slave to it.
The song "New Creation" by Mac Powell is full of powerful lyrics that reflect Romans 6 and the change that needs to be made in all our lives. Although I have made a ton of memories and have had lots of good times living in the world, none of it compares to the joy I have now. As I wake each day and seek God’s will for my life, I find joy in being obedient to His calling. As verse 11 says, “In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.” I am thankful that I am a “New Creation” because of God's gift of eternal life through Christ Jesus.
Take two minutes to reflect in silence.