God has sent me two girls that I am blessed to disciple and just spend time with. We live life together. One of the girls I have known for years, the other, I have just known a few months. Both girls love Jesus. They are living it out! Is this an easy thing to do in the world we live in? No. Do they have excuses they could hide behind and continue to live for the world? Yes. The beautiful thing is they don't. THAT'S THE OLD THEM. The girl I have known for years, she's been in church most of her life. She has struggled with anger and wanting to please the crowd more than Christ but one day not so long ago she called me up and said, “No, more. I am done with that life.” She submitted to what God had planned for her all along. I have watched this girl that used to be easily peer pressured now lead people on a path of the straight and narrow. Through simply loving Christ boldly. Her attitude representing Christ in the good and bad. She is in her Word everyday and is filling her head with Christian music. My other girl? I met at one of our local high schools. She then got talked into coming into a Bible Study and God grabbed her up. Radically changed her life! I later found out that she has been dealing with sin in her life since her family's recent move here and couldn't seem to find a way her of it. She knows Jesus. A lot like my other girl, grew up in church, but managed to get far enough away from Him to try and handle life without Him. She knew life wasn't working but now she realizes why! I watch as she absorbs the Bible, sings to Jesus and most of all cut out her old ways. Proudly, proclaiming, THAT'S THE OLD ME. As I listened to the same song by Young Joshua these girls came to mind when I heard these words. “ … He used to be a fraud. The choir boy didn't know the truth about God. But now they all changed, aw man, daddy gone. This world handled but they're no longer loving their wrongs. Free from old self, new life now. Born into darkness but got sight now. He gotta tell em', listen, that's the old me, my whole lifestyle is different, THAT'S THE OLD ME...”
( Words from same Young Joshua song) “Shorty was conceited, said she had a reason, love em' and leave them , flirt with them and tease them, ever since she was 12 she was boy crazy... Nowadays she's different, shorty be a Christian, shorty? She consistent....” “ Her old friends tell her that she's trippen', but nah' she got to tell em' that's the old me, my whole lifestyle is different, THAT'S THE OLD ME...” I would love to tell you that these lines stuck out to me because of one of my students but these lines, they are about me. THAT'S THE OLD ME!
You see we all have places we were and places we are. Places we wait and places to go but I am learning every day that our job as followers of Christ is to be still and listen. We are to never help God but wait. You see I had to grow into the woman I am today. I want to be a Christ follower first. I want to continue to disciple kids and lead them to want the same. While I am living life with these kids, keeping my past behind me and holding tight to God's promises, I believe I am blessed for my obedience in Him. My students; they are trying, too. These 3 kids are putting themselves in places where they are surrounded by good people, they are reading their Word and receptive to people challenging them when they aren't. They are allowing God to grow them. I am humbled to be a part. With character building, sometimes includes shame and humiliation, BUT THIS IS THE NEW ME! And if I go through this process I'm ready and I stand ready to help these 3 along with many other students to stand in obedience to being THE NEW THEM. 2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “ Distress that drives us to God does that. It turns us around. It gets us back in the way of salvation. We never regret that kind of pain. But those who let distress drive them away from God are full of regrets, end up on a road of deathbed regrets.” Let that be our drive today and always.