day 12: death...and your good clothes.

"put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature...do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge in the image of its Creator."

colossians 3:5, 9-10

take my life, i lay it down

at the cross where i am found

all i have i give to you, oh God

take my hands and make them clean

keep my heart in purity

that i may walk in all You have for me

oh, here i stand arms open wide

oh, i am Yours and You are mine Jesus

take my moments and my days

let each breath that i take

be ever only for you, oh God

oh, here i stand arms open wide

oh, i am Yours and You are mine Jesus

oh, here i stand arms open wide

oh, i am Yours and You are mine

my whole life is yours, i give it all

surrendered to Your name

and forever i will pray

have Your way, have Your way Jesus

the words from a song by samuel david knock (arms open wide) are my prayer for today. as i continue to die to my self, i give my life to God for i am not my own.

paul says to put our earthly nature to death and to replace it with our new self. even Christians struggle with this earthly nature. as our faith matures, our sinful nature does too. we may shift from sins like cursing, sexual immorality, gossip, violence and such (more outward sins) to more under-the-surface sins like pride, greed, lost for power and popularity, etc. colossians 3:1-17 paints a bigger picture than those few verses and talks further about putting on the new self. he gives guidance of "good clothes" that we are to put on in place of earthly nature that we kill: compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forgiveness, love, peace, thankfulness.

"he never asks you to put on anything he hasn't worn himself." do i need to be patient with someone? He has been incredibly patient with me. do i need strength? He endured the cross. am i struggling to forgive someone who hurt me? God has forgiven all of my sins.

Lord, help me to loosen my grip on my life and give it up to you. as i die to my self and put to death my earthly nature, fill me with your Spirit that i may put on new clothes - Christ-like attitudes and behaviors that glorify you.