We haven’t arrived the day we meet Christ and accept Him as our Saviour. That’s not the finish line, but the starting point. It’s the beginning of a new life where we cut off the doings of the old person piece by piece and start learning a new way of living.

¹² We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life.

You see, all the wrong things we were doing didn’t simply march out the back door the day we invited the Lord into our lives. The wrong things in our lives are so much a part of us that we don’t always know that they don’t suit us.

And we certainly can’t continue in the same way. We can’t keep going along the same old path. When we invited Jesus in, we received new plans for the house that is our life. The new plans are revealed to us piece by piece.

That discomfort we experience when we still do the old things. That little voice we hear when we do things that do not fit the new plans. These are all ways that help us recognise the wrong things in our lives.

We must sidestep those things. We must break them down bit by bit and cut them from our lives, because they simply do not fit us any longer. Everything that is godless must be eradicated: dishonesty, injustice, idolatry, superstition and disbelief. The desires of the flesh that want to tempt you into the mud pits of life. Pornography, alcohol abuse, dirty language, stealing … and here you can add all the wrong things you do.

We must intentionally plan to eradicate the things we do that God doesn’t want to touch. And this is serious. We’ve become so used to a life style that is not completely God’ style that we no longer see it as being wrong.

And it’s shocking to see how easily one can get used to a new life style. We toured with friends for 16 days. We camped nearly every night, but I don’t think that we skimped on the food. It was filet and rump. Lamb chops and sausage. Stews and pot bread. And as you sit down in your camping chair, exercise is postponed to tomorrow.

It was very good.

But when we got home, I had to go back to the bike in the spinning class. I nearly died! After the class the fitness instructor even said loudly: “Bike no 22, holidays aren’t good for you!”

I felt like a worm, but she was right. The camping life style so quickly became the norm, but in the process, I forgot to look after my body.

The wrong things/sin very easily become part of our life style, because these things are so enjoyable. But they mess everything up. That’s why we need to make sure that sin and our old nature do not move back in. Look around you. Sniff out the wrong things and cut them out.

Scripture
Titus 2:11-14

 Reflection
What godless things are there in your life?
Where is your life style going off the road?
What is your action plan to correct this?

Prayer
Holy Spirit, please show me the things I don’t see that do not fit your plan for me. Please help me to change my life style and to become the new person You have made me to be. I ask this in Jesus’ Name, amen.