Stay out of the ditch!

Ephesians 4:22-24  "...that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth."

There's a drainage ditch across the street from the house I grew up in.  It is part of the flood control system and, unlike the concrete lined channels of today, it was muddy.  I swear that ditch was magnetic!  No matter how often my mom told me to stay out of the ditch, I was drawn to it like a tractor beam in Star Wars.

Mom always knew when I had been in the ditch.   My shoes were caked with mud, my clothes were filthy and stinky, my hands and face were smeared with sweat-soaked dirt. Once home, I knew the drill.  I had to shed those clothes in the garage and head for the bathtub.  It felt so good to be clean again (for awhile) and to put on fresh-smelling jeans and shirt!

The gist of Paul's words to the Ephesians is, "Stay out of the ditch!"  Don't keep going back to your old habits.  Take off the clothes stained with sin, let the Holy Spirit wash you, and get dressed in the garb of righteousness.

Sounds easy.  But how do I resist the "tractor beam" of sin?  The key is in the little phrase, "be renewed in the spirit of your mind".   Paul says it this way in Romans 12:2, "...do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."  In order to "keep my clothes clean", I need to spend time with God early each morning, allowing Him to speak to my soul through His Word, listening as the Holy Spirit prepares me for the day ahead.

Dear Lord, I am so grateful that Your Word is stronger than the tractor beam of this world.  Thank You for living in me through Your Spirit, please renew my mind this morning so I can represent You well today. Amen.