May 2011
The sounds of spring are in the air! There are buds on the trees, the sun sits a little higher in the sky and my lilac tree should be about ready to bloom. I become invigorated around this time every year. Suddenly I feel the need to clean house….out with the old, in with the new! Organizing closets becomes a priority and everything, inside and out, smells fresh! Dave and I argue about whether to open the windows (despite the pollen) or close everything up and turn on the air. My preference is to open everything up. Let the winter air out and let the new air of spring flow through the house. I can put up with a little pollen in return for some fresh air. Dave, on the other hand, prefers to turn on the air conditioning. It’s my belief that the furnace/air conditioner should get a reprieve, at least for a few weeks!
Like most Christians, this time of year always reminds me of the new life afforded to those who choose to accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. What a relief! I can stop worrying about the need to reinvent myself (like Madonna) and let Jesus take the wheel. One aspect of this new life thing has me puzzled. In order to take advantage of that new life, I must allow my “old self” to die. Really Lord, die you say?? What the heck does that mean? Only one thing comes to mind when I hear the word die….you know what I’m talking about. I have too much living to do yet!
Fortunately, that is not at all the case. When the Bible tells us we have to let our old self die, it simply means we need to turn away from those things in our life that keep us from enjoying a closer relationship with God. The good news is when we’re given new life, God provides us with an out. What I mean is, as we grow closer to Him, we no longer have the desire to do anything that would stand in our way of achieving that goal.
Christian music really speaks to me so I will often refer to a specific song to help explain what I’m trying to say. The song “So Long Self” by MercyMe so aptly describes the process of allowing ones old self to die. The chorus goes like this:
So long, self
Well, it's been fun, but I have found somebody else
So long, self
There's just no room for two
So you are gonna have to move
So long, self
Don't take this wrong but you are wrong for me, farewell
Oh well, goodbye, don't cry
So long, self
In order for God to fully use me, I have to be willing to allow Him to clean my house. I must become an empty vessel so He can fill me with His thoughts, enabling me to live my life according to His plan…..not mine. Easier said than done, right? Often times I fight him tooth and nail when he starts to remove something from my life that I’m not ready to give up yet. In the end, when I grow weak and realize it’s not worth fighting any longer, he fills me with something ten times better! So why do I continue to fight?? No idea! That’s the human side of me I guess, but you’d think I’d learn. Maybe one day……
The good news is, it’s spring and it’s time to clean house! Take some time to really look at your life. What can you remove to allow God to fill the gap? I know you’ll think of something!
Denise