GET RID OF THOSE OLD CLOTHES!

"Put off your old self...put on the new self." Ephesians 4:22 - 24

When you entertain thoughts in the privacy of your own mind you may be tempted to excuse yourself by saying, "What harm will it do?"  What harm?  More than you know!  Ultimately you become whatever you dwell on.  Paul writes, "Take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ" [2 Corinthians 10:5].  Take control of your thoughts or they will take you places you do not want to go.

Again Paul writes, "Put off your old self...put on the new self."  Now you may not want to admit that you are still wearing some of those old clothes.  But the truth is, you cannot put on the new man till you first take off the old one.  Furthermore, you cannot hang those old clothes in the closet for a rainy day, or leave them on the floor to be tripped over.  You have to get rid of them!

Read these words carefully: "Stop telling lies...tell your neighbors the truth...Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil.  If you are a thief, quit stealing...use your hands for good hard work...give generously to others in need.  Do not use foul or abusive language.  Let everything you say be...helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them" [Ephesians 4:25 - 29].  Because God's Spirit lives within you, you do not have to:

• lie in order to advance your position;
• cheat to be prosperous;
• deceive to achieve;
• use your anger and your moods to control others;
• engage in foul talk.

Those are old clothes - get rid of them!

COMMIT YOURSELF TO GROWTH!

"Let the wise listen and add to their learning." Proverbs 1:5

Here are 3 reasons why growth should matter to you:

• Gifting without growth produces ineffectiveness.  Albert Schweitzer said, "The secret of success is to go through life as a person who never gets used up."  But how do you do that?  The answer lies in how you approach talent.  If you draw on your talent but never sharpen it, you are headed for trouble because nobody is that talented.  But if you take the time to sharpen your axe, God can call on you at a moment's notice.
• Growth prevents stagnation.  Do you feel stuck spiritually, relational, career wise, or at home?  You won't get unstuck by making external changes, looking for a different job, leaving your family or changing churches.  The truth is, nobody's keeping you down but yourself.  The lid on your life - is you!  In order to do more, you have got to grow more.  So, if you are serious about getting unstuck, stop looking for quick fixes, take a long hard look at yourself, accept responsibility for what you see, pray, then commit yourself to doing something about it.
• Continuous improvement guarantees success!  The Tartar tribes of central Asia used to pronounce a certain curse over their enemies.  They did not hurl words calling for their enemy's swords to rust or their people to die of disease.  No, they said, "May you stay in one place forever."  If you do not work on improving yourself everyday that could be your fate.  You will be stuck in the same place, doing the same things, hoping the same hopes, but never gaining new ground or developing spiritually. So, commit yourself to growth!

CALLED TO A HIGHER STANDARD

"From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." Luke 12:48

Christians can be some of the most sour and selective people on earth.  Many times we feel obligated to show our faith by criticizing people with whom we work rather than loving them and seeking a chance to say something encouraging.  We ruin our testimony because others know that while we talk about Christ, we do not act Christ-like.  Often our testimony suffers because of our poor work ethic, long breaks, reading the Bible on company time, talking on the phone for hours with our friends, etc.  But the worst thing is, we alienate ourselves as an elite group and leave others feeling "less than."  Not Jesus!  He rubbed elbows withe everybody.  He was adept at reaching out to those society looked down upon - the prostitutes, the tax collectors, the lepers.  We like to put people into two boxes: the ones we like and the ones we do not.  Jesus said, "From the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked."  Hello, you have been called to a higher standard; one that requires exercising wisdom, humility, and grace in the midst of tension.  When King Saul threw javelins at David, he ducked and kept on serving.  While he was innocent of any wrongdoing, David handled the situation without becoming "defensive".  If your fellow workers do not go to church the only chance they of seeing the fruits of the Spirit in operation, is in your life.  By responding with patience, love and professionalism you will make a lasting impact on them - one that could attract them to the Christ you claim to serve.