"Leaving Past Tense"

By Zach Wood

Colossians 3:7-8

You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived.  But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.

 

 

I have been reading through this chapter of Colossians for a few days this week and these verses have caught my attention every time.  I remember the life I used to live when I did not walk in Christ.  I used to not care about how my actions affected others.  I used to not care that I had terrible language and had an anger problem.  That all changed when I realized I needed to rededicate my life and set things straight with God.  Not everything change to perfection, but I slowly came back from some things that I was doing and should not have been doing.  I used to walk in these ways and I was trying to get away from those ways.  I realized I could not do it alone.  I needed God's help. 

 

How about you?  Are you still living in the past tense life?  Are you constantly finding yourself falling back into the same old pattern you used to live in before you knew Christ?  We all struggle with leaving this life behind, but we must come to Christ and pray for His strength to help us.  We cannot do anything on our own.  Paul talks in this chapter about rules for holy living.  What I love most about this chapter is what he says in the first few verses.  He talks about how we need to set our minds on things above that are eternal.  We need to avoid being focused on worldly things that are only temporary. 

 

Are you finding it hard to get rid of your life of past tense? 

 

Are you living in past tense with a drinking problem?

 

Are you living in past tense with a smoking problem?

 

Are you living in past tense with abuse problems?

 

Are you living in past tense with some immoral problems? 

 

Are you living in past tense with foul language problems?

 

If you answered yes to any of these, there is hope!  Jesus Christ offers hope to you and I through all struggles we face.  Once we are in Christ, we are a New Creation.  We are not forever immune to Satan's attacks, but we have a Savior that can help us be strong and walk away from these past tense life problems.  Sometimes it takes years to improve. 

 

I encourage you to seek God and His strength for any past tense problems in your life.  I pray and hope that you can start living a life that puts those ways behind you.  Paul knew the hard struggle.  He knew the pain we face.  He turned to God.  Who are you turning to?