Laying Aside Every Weight

I was writing to a friend of mine, and it seems that much of what I said had serious blog potential. Here's hoping I'm right:


...Now that I'm turning 30, I'm oh so reflective about the state of affairs of my life, and I'm discovering a new-found resolve. I think perhaps this past year has been one of the hardest years of my life: the struggle, yes, but...for the first time in my life, I really began to confront the darkness of my past, of my lost hopes and unrealized dreams, of the painful wounds of family and friends.... In His goodness, however, God faithfully provided.

I do still struggle, yes. Often times it does feel much like surviving. I was hit with something profound my roommate mentioned the other night when we were talking. He talked of how the battle against sin must be waged because the stakes are so high: either sin will die, or I will die. I must put to death the deeds of the flesh. So with that, I resolved to put away the sin that so easily entangles, make a fresh start (how convenient: I'm starting a new decade!), and cut off those ties to my sin. I've held on to vestiges of my past, thinking that I'll be okay. Obviously not - though I didn't realize it until just recently. I've been fortunate to have a roommate who has demonstrated true Christian brotherhood to me in a way that I never thought I would know. I've often felt like an outsider, and ironically, most profoundly in much of Christendom. Christians often just don't quite know how to deal with different people, whether they're just a bit odd or broken more than the average sinner. But no need for commentary on the modern church.... I'm stepping out of my past, out of my shame, and fixing my eyes upwards. At least, I'm...trying to make the necessary changes in my life to embrace my standing as a son of God so that I can become a man of God.