"Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices, and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator...Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity" (Colossians 3:9-10, 12-14).
This is the time of year when "new year's resolutions" are contemplated as we seek to make a better us. The problem is that the percentage of people who actually follow through with their resolution is minimal. So, does that mean that we just go through the year 2010 without caring at all about how the year goes? No, I don't think so.
These verses from Colossians 3 really challenge us to make a better and more Christ-like us. As we think about the new year and "turning over a new leaf" focus on making a new you. As a believer you have put off the "old nature" and put on the "new nature". However, continual renewal is necessary in order that the new life may have full dominion over your conduct.
Simply put, now that we have this new nature, we can't just leave it at that. We must continually renew by maturing. John MacArthur uses the illustration of a baby. The baby is born complete but immature and needs to grow. As new we are complete, just not mature. That requires our growing in "the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter 3:18).
This year I challenge you to grow; to become involved in a Sunday school class, men's or women's group, outreach ministry, or simply reading your Bible and meditating on what you've read each day.
The challenge from Paul is to be "renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator" (Col. 3:10). Are you looking and acting more like the Creator? Whether or not you call it a resolution, make it happen in your life!
Why? Because only if we seek continual renewal in the knowledge of God and become more like our Creator will we be able to fulfill verses 12-14: "... clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
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