You Are Not Your Old Self

Today's God Calling message is about staying in the Spirit. It addresses putting of that "old man" and putting on the new one. When we're born again, we are resurrected from spiritual death to new life. Our "old man" is dead and gone as far as God is concerned. Our new self-which is really God's "self" -now lives in us.

Staying in the spirit involves constant awareness of the Holy Spirit within us. Outside of that Spirit, I am just my "self." I get my feelings hurt. I get tired and tired of; I get frustrated, angry, and, I am ornery. But God's Me-God's "self" in me, doesn't take offense. God's "self" doesn't get frustrated, angry, tired or tired of very easily. He's long suffering. God's "self" is love. Jesus went into the tomb flesh and blood. He was resurrected in a glorified body. That's a symbol of our dying to the flesh, and being resurrected spiritually; our being born again.

Denying "self" is not about living a life of deprivation. It is about saying no to the attitudes and mindsets of our human nature hearts. It's simply choosing God's "self" over my "self" in terms of truth, wisdom, attitude, and determination or strength. More importantly, it's about saying "yes" to God's truth about me. It's about choosing to love myself as God loves me; to care for myself as God cares for me. To nurture, provide and protect for me as God would and does. When we do that, we have a tendency to choose things that are good for us, things that are beneficial to us rather than things that will cause us harm and can destroy us. The Bible tells us that all things are permissible but not all are beneficial. Choosing to love me the way God loves me helps me to seek His wisdom and His will for and in my life, because I know that He only wants the very best for me. His ways are higher than mine.