A Daily Renewal

Articles

Edwin Crozier
08/14/16 - Pursuing Holiness

A Daily Renewal

by Edwin L. Crozier

One of the greatest sources of weariness in our battle against sin is Time. We have a great victory one day, but the next day doesn’t bring reprieve. The battle continues. We have a great failure one day, but the next day doesn’t bring rehab. The battle continues. We have great success in one area of the battle, but we just seem to peel back the onion to discover the next layer of battle. We’d like to have a great big victory and be done forever with the fight. That, however, is not how life works. True, there are ups and downs. There are days with less intensity than others, but the battle continues. It is easy to just get tired of fighting.

Luke 9:23 offers help in the face of this weariness. I don’t have to pick up my cross for a lifetime. I don’t have to pick up my cross annually, monthly, or even weekly. I just need to pick up my cross today. I don’t have to be overwhelmed thinking about fighting the battle for a lifetime. I simply need to fight today. After all, today is the only lifetime I’m promised.

With that in mind, one of the greatest tools I’ve discovered is a daily renewal that I have adapted from 12-step recovery groups. It makes use of several of the weapons we’ve talked about in our series on Putting to Death What is Earthly in You. Allow me to explain how it works. At the beginning or end of the day, connect with someone on your “support team.” Ask each other the following questions, make the following commitments to God and each other, then spend some time praying.

Here are the questions and commitments.

Are you willing to admit, just for today, you cannot win the victory over what is earthly in you, but God can and will?
Do you desire to put to death what is earthly in you for the next 24 hours?
Are you willing to do whatever is necessary over the next 24 hours to kill sin in your life?
Just for today, do you commit to God and to me that you do not have to pursue what is earthly, no matter what?
What have you done over the past 24 hours to stay connected to God?
Is there anything you’ve done over the past 24 hours of which you are ashamed or has endangered you in this battle against what is earthly in you?
Do you see anything over the next 24 hours that will lead you into difficulty in your battle against sin? What are your plans to combat this?
What is something you are grateful for today?
Just for today, are you willing to hand your will and the care of your life over to God who wins the victory and has promised to restore, confirm, strengthen and establish you?

If you are working on a particular sin, call it by name in this renewal instead of the generic “what is earthly in you.” I invite you this week, to make this call each day it is called “Today.” Why not schedule this with someone today before you leave our assembly? As long as it is called, “Today,” pick up your cross and renew your commitment to God. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you.