Put Away the Old Self

Setting Our Hearts Aflame!

Put Away the Old Self
For just about a year now I have been practicing Lectio Devina with the daily readings and journaling my thoughts into a prayer journal/blog online. As I look back I see certain patterns of thought that repeat throughout my life. Today’s second reading contains one of those thoughts:

…you should put away the old self of your former way of life,… and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self… Eph 4:22, 23-24

I have often wrestled with this. I wonder as I enter a new self in Christ how much of my former way of life I should get rid of and what should I keep? It is difficult to look at one’s self in the mirror and try to see what is keeping you back from freely following Jesus and being open to the Spirit. I pondered this for about an hour and came to no real answers. As I closed my journal entry a “random” Bible verse popped up on my computer screen:

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, on your own intelligence rely not. -Proverbs 3:5

I asked myself was this God’s way of telling me to not think so much… don’t sprain my brain pondering the mysteries of my life? Was this God’s way of telling me to lighten up and not be so hard on myself?

As I reflect upon today’s readings I realize that in a way I have been wandering the desert, seeking answers, getting no where, when I should be trusting that the Lord will provide for what I need physically and spiritually. Let us take some time today to examine our lives, to discover what is holding us back from a fuller relationship with God and let us pray for the Lord to guide us through the deserts of our minds.
- God Bless, Holly Clark