Choose THIS day ...

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self ... 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. - Ephesians 4: 22-24

Sometimes we just fall out of sync with our good intentions of reading the bible on a regular basis. I know I do. I slide back into old habits and the old way of life. Then when I do get back to it, I find a message on how I should be living and I start feeling guilty. I should have ... could have ...

But God's Word is not meant to condemn but to open our eyes once again to the other possibilities for living. It's meant to give us truths that are good and reliable and helpful; we aren't supposed to drown in guilt and not move from it.

This past winter, when you felt cold, did you just sit there and shiver and decide you were doomed to be cold forever? Of course not! You got up and put on a sweater, or grabbed a blanket, or turned the thermostat up a notch. You realized you had other options, and you choose to not stay cold. You did not let your feeling of cold dictate how you were going to spend your day.

In the same way, we can choose to be doomed to a certain bad habit or pattern. Or, we can turn to God's Word and through prayer, seek out His promises for other options. Our feelings of helplessness do not have to dictate how we will live out our day. Feelings and emotions are fine but as Christians we have more options on how to respond. We can choose. We can recognize our old self and choose to put on the new self - if we just choose / decide to have a new attitude in our minds. One that checks in with God to seek the path He desires us to follow. One that reflects the promises of God.

Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, " This is the way; walk in it." - Isaiah 30:21