Time to Say Good-Bye

I remember reading about some tribal group of people who had a unique approach to punishment for murder. If someone was guilty of taking another’s life without a cause, the punishment was that the body of the dead was tied to the murderer, and they had to carry it around with them for the rest of their life. How is that for a deterrent to crime?

That is the way some believers in Christ are when it comes to their old life. Scripture tells us the old man (our old nature) is dead. But we do not allow him to be buried and put out of sight. We hold on to the past like it was some treasure we do not wish to lose. We keep going back to old habits, old friends, and old ways of living. We do not move on.

“We want something new but cannot let go of the old-old ideas, beliefs, habits, even thoughts. We are out of contact with our own genius. Sometimes we know we are stuck; sometimes we don’t. In both cases we have to do something.”

Rush Limbaugh

Radio Personality

When we give our lives to Christ, we become new. One of my favorite verses is 2 Corinthians 5:17 (see below). It tells me that my past, the old me, is gone. I do not have to drag it around anymore. I do not have to fear it, struggle with it, or hide it from others. It is gone, and the new me is in its place. I am not the person I was before. All the additions and bad habits are gone. I feel, think, and behave differently than I did.

Even my passions and desires have changed from focused on me to Him. While in Ireland a few years back, I saw the grave of a 17^th century Nun, which read, “I am His. And His I choose to be.” That is my heart. I am the property of Jesus, and I have no desire for anything else.

“But what about your dream to help people become the best they can be and to achieve their dreams? What of all you say about goal setting and fulfilling your purpose?” You see that all is part of it. I know that to be a success-minded person and adequately serve God, as I desire to do, I have a responsibility to be who He created me to be. J. Oswald Sanders, the author of Spiritual Leadership, said, “All Christians are called to develop God-given talents, to make the most of their lives, to develop to the fullest their God-given powers and capacities.”

God made each of us for a purpose. No one is here by mistake. Our duty and honor to the Creator are to be the best creation we can be. As a success-minded Christian, you will not just finish what God has for you to do, but you will do it well.

“Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away;

behold, new things have come.”

2 Corinthians 5:17

You can learn more about Personal Development from author and speaker, John Patrick Hickey. To get his books, training material, or book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   

© 2020 John Patrick Hickey. No part of this may be reprinted or published without the permission of the author.