'Rid yourself of all such things as these…' Colossians 3:8a [TNIV]
In chapter 3 of Colossians, Paul talks about taking 'clothes' off and putting on new clean clothes. We will come to the second part of that idea on Thursday. Today I want us to think about stuff we need to put off, the rubbish that we need to put out of our lives. 'Stuff' that we would be better off without.
The list Paul gives includes: anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language, lying, sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed. It is worth stopping a moment and reading back over that list and asking yourself 'how big an issue is that sin for me?'
Such an inventory is helpful but not easily memorable. John Ortberg in his book The Me I want to Be gives a much more memorable acronym: RAGS. He says we need to put off our
Resentments
Anxieties
Greed
Superiority
That's a comprehensive and memorable checklist. Resentment covers anger in all its forms. Anxiety covers all the things I'm worrying about and therefore failing to trust God over. Greed covers all the times I put my comfort/needs inappropriately high up my agenda and superiority covers all those moments when I judge others, forgetting that I too have feet of clay.
'Father, I don't want to be dressed in RAGS today. You have qualities that are much more beautiful for me to wear. Help me now to give up my rags and hand them over to you. I'd like you to take the rubbish out of my life. Amen'
Sheila Bridge
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