Heart Thoughts by Helen

"Putting on New Clothes"

"..put off your old self, which is being corrupted by it's 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." Eph 4:22-24

Personally, I prefer to stay in old loose, knock around clothes. As soon as I get up I put on old clothes. As soon as I come home from being out anywhere, the first thing I want to do is shed the good clothes and put on the grubbies. I just like being comfortable in my old clothes. That's not to say that some of my good clothes are not comfortable. I just prefer the old. Casual is my thing.

In my spiritual life, it behooves me to reconsider just what comfy, casual, lackadaisical means. The Apostle Paul plainly says "put off old self". Get rid of old way of life that corrupts and deceives. He goes on to categorize the old life: lying, anger, speech, stealing and other specific habits that need to be abandoned.

Now, I need to be more aware of my thought life and how I use my tongue and my time. Let's not forget the computer and how we use our fingers and hands and eyes. Talk about time consuming!!!The Lord convicts me of these things continually. What am I going to do about that?

Jesus says in Matthew 6:33 "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you". First thing, I seek to spend personal time with the Lord each day, so that whatever I do will be guided by what He tells me. This morning He says: "put off old self"...Ok, as I change out of my old grubby clothes, I mentally confess or take off the known sin in my thought life and actions. As I shower and cleanse myself of these things, I put on the fresh clothes of the day. These clothes are clean and comfortable and my shoes fit to walk in the newness of life. Not only am I clothed in the new body, the fresh clothes, I am renewed day by day by His Spirit not only in my inner being but my outer being as well. Ready for a fresh, new day, offering myself to be used of him in ways of which I cannot conceive. Before I know it my fresh, good clothes transform into comfortable, casual duds.