I loved my old pair of Crocs. They were so comfortable to wear around the house, I couldn’t get rid of them. Even when they developed holes on the sides, I still hung onto them. My sister-in-law loves to shop online. One day, she sent me pictures of a selection of slippers, and asked me to choose from among them. My choice gravitated to a kind of rubber slipper that looked similar to my old, familiar pair. So, one day I received a parcel in the mail – a new pair of shoes! I had a goodbye ceremony for my old shoes, and asked my husband to video me dropping them into the garbage can. “Bye, bye, Crocs!”

Throwing away my old shoes reminds me of a verse about throwing away.

“Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God – truly righteous and holy.” (Ephesians 4:21-24 NLT)

The decision to follow Jesus involves putting the past behind us, as we turn to a new way of thinking and managing our lives. This is not a one time decision, however, but needs to be continually renewed day by day. Putting away our former thoughts, attitudes and actions is a conscious act, just as I highlighted the transition to my new pair of shoes by dropping the old ones dramatically into the garbage. We move on by stopping our former behaviour. It’s like water under a bridge, carrying away debris and stuff from our old lives. We implement our new nature, putting on new ways, like putting on a new pair of shoes. I had to get rid of my old pair of shoes so I wouldn’t be tempted to use them as second best. They really were not worth saving, just as the old ways are not worth following.

We don’t automatically and easily turn to always following our new nature. It’s a process. We need the Holy Spirit to help us, and we can freely ask Him to do so.

January is a good time to renew our commitment to reading the Bible on a consistent basis. As we prayerfully read, we are lead by the Holy Spirit, who guides us “along right paths, bringing honor to his name.” (Psalm 23:3 NLT) We learn about new ways of living and set our minds along this path. We renew our minds by constant exposure to God’s ways. Our change may be slow, but by reading the Word faithfully, we can make progress. We can say, “Out with the old, in with the new.”

Prayer: Lord, thank You that You renew our minds by leading us along right paths. Help us to consciously turn from the thoughts, habits and actions of our old life, and put on the life-giving habits of our new life in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Alice Burnett
Red Deer, Alberta, Canada