Stuck

Anyone in Christ is a new creation 2 Corinthians 5:17

 

Did you now that? If you turn to Christ and let him to lead you, you become a different person?

 

I get "stuck." That is, no matter how hard I try, by sheer will power, I can change little. I soon return to my "old" self. The Apostle Paul had the very same problem.

 

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.         Romans 7:15

 

With all the self-help books out there, I see little changing of people unless Christ does it. The biggest impact of these books may be to make some people rich writing self-help books. There is something of my "old" nature that gets stuck and I am unable to really make the changes I desire. Some people even try to make Christianity a self-help religion. They stay stuck as well.

 

When I follow Jesus, I become "in him" rather than "about him" or "aware of him" or "sucking up to him." There is a big difference. Lots of people claim to be Christian and do lots of impressive Christian-looking stuff. And even the devil quotes scripture. But only a follower becomes a new creation.

 

New people change without so much will-power as God-power. Following does take practice and trust because Christ's way of navigating life seems odd to me. "Die to live." "First is last." "Deny yourself." "Forgive forever." "Love unconditionally and sacrificially." These are all, well, WHOPPERS. Yet if I follow Christ in these, I can truly become unstuck – a new creation. I like that.