DAY 59 - STEPPING INTO THE NEW

CONNOR GRIM, YA ASSOCIATE PASTOR & VOLUNTEER TEAM LEAD

“Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.” Colossians 3:12-14

While the call to be a Christian does involve leaving old habits and sinful patterns behind you, it’s much more about stepping into and embracing the new that God has for your life. Paul encourages the church of Colossae that when they leave their sinful life in the past there is a new nature that you can begin to take on. One where compassion conquers bitterness. Kindness conquers harshness. Humility triumphs over pride and gentleness and patience become the new lens we view the world through.

This however does not come naturally. If you’ve been walking with Jesus for more than 5 minutes you realize that you don’t just wake up a new person. You have to actively choose daily to pursue these things until they start to become second nature (your new nature in Jesus). That’s why Paul tells us to clothe ourselves in these; meaning to actively put them on every day. 

Some days you’re gonna crush it. Some days you’re gonna fall short. The goal of the Christian life isn’t one of perfection necessarily (Jesus did that on our behalf), but to continually grow daily into the image and the likeness of Jesus.

Have you made your walk with Jesus only about cutting out the bad, or are you actively stepping into new things that God has for you? Write down a few things that you feel like God is calling you to add to your life, and focus on those this week!

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