The Best Version of You
 |
Ephesians 4:20 But you have not so learned Christ, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught by Him, as the truth is in Jesus: 22 that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, 23 and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.
Reading the text above makes me ask the question: “Am I the best version of myself?” It is an odd question, but it is entirely appropriate in light our greater potential. Life is lived on many levels, from social, to professional, to physical, to marital, to financial, to spiritual, and more.
On every level, it is necessary to avoid complacency and separate our “lesser self” from unnecessary or ungodly behaviors. The standard for a better life is recognizing the things we “have been taught by Him (Jesus).” In this letter to Christians, the Apostle Paul summarized the spiritual growth process as “putting off” and “putting on.” It is interesting that Paul acknowledge the fact that Christians may still need to discard “former conduct.”
The three keys to this process are:
1) Be renewed in the spirit (or attitude) of the mind.
2) Put off the “old man.”
3) Put on the “new man,” which is what we can call the “new you.”
These are simple steps, but this is not something we can do in our own strength. As the text says we are doing what we have "learned from Christ." This is the value of our time in personal devotions, in Bible studies, and receiving the word of God from our pastors and teachers.
___________
Excerpt from my new devotional book, "Renew: Principles of Change for a Better Life."
