I must lay down who I am in order to become the person I want to be. Some things I lay down easily like discards in a hand of Go Fish. They slide off of me like velvet on gold, just falling away. Other things are harder to lose. Stuff clings to me like Gorilla glue – it just won’t break the bond. It’s like a suitcase that’s seen better days. I set it down only to find myself walking around that case as unconsciously my hand wraps itself around the handle, and before I realize what I’ve done, the case is back with me. Some things won’t shed so easily – like a favorite pair of jeans – broken in to my perfection but torn and tattered to the log in your eye. I try to lay myself down, to pick up the person I need to be – but the current me won’t cooperate.
Read Romans 7:1-25
Paul is author of at least 13 books in the New Testament. He started life as Saul – a persecutor and murderer of Christians. An encounter with the Lord changed Him and his life forever. Yet He struggled with doing certain things he did not want to do; and not doing things he did want to do. We should take heart here – even this great man who actually stood in the presence of Jesus struggled. But let that not be a license to continue to sin but let it be a starting point for us to battle against our own worldly desires.
- What thing are you doing that you are having a tough time laying down; or what thing are you not doing that you should be doing?
- Find someone to confess to – a believer that will not share your admission.
- Join in prayer with at least one other person to be able to overcome in this area.
- Seek godly wisdom – do you need to leave some friends behind right now?
- Do you need to make new godly connections until you have strength in this area?
- Make a list of things you need in order to have victory in this area and a reasonable timeline to complete the list.
- Does your list line up with biblical reasoning?
- If so, begin to take the step on your path to overcoming!
Lord help me to overcome the obstacles in my life that prevent me from having victory! Send like-minded people to help me and let me be a help to others struggling with laying down the old person and taking up the new person You called me to be after believing. Help me to remember that you called me to be in fellowship with other people so that iron will sharpen iron. Give me wisdom to know how to personally overcome in this area and give me endurance for the race. I give You all of the praise! In Jesus name, amen!