[Shepherding the sheep with One heart] Get rid of your old habits!

  • 2016.11.22 10:56

 

The Lord tests us when he comes to us and knocks at the door of our hearts. 
 
“Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

 

This means that you should truly understand why the Lord comes to us; that the Lord comes and eats with the person who opens the door, understanding why the Lord enters the door.  The Lord respects a man’s personality. 

The night before Jesus was crucified, he suffered in Caiaphas’ palace after being caught by the Jews. 

 

The disciples ran away because they were afraid that they might suffer the same fate as Jesus.  Even Peter, who was one of Jesus’ closest disciples, denied three times that he knew Jesus.  After that, Peter returned to his boat and fishing net and to his work in the sea of Galilee, where he had worked before he met Jesus.  He returned to his previous life. 

 

If someone has never gambled at hwatu, he doesn’t play hwatu, as he doesn’t know how to.  On the other hand, if someone is addicted to gambling at hwatu, he is easily tempted to return to playing the game, even if he has decided not to gamble after believing in Jesus.  Likewise, the habits that someone has before he believed in Jesus lead that person back to his previous, sinful life, and cause him to return to his sins in particular situations. 

 

We must get rid of all the bad habits that became part of us before we believed in Jesus. We must realize how meaningless these habits are, and end them through repentance.  The disciples returned to their past lives of fishing because they had not broken the habit of being fishermen. If you still have the bad habits, or a trace of your past life, you will return to the old habits when you meet unexpected situations. 

 

God will surely use the person who never returns to his past, sinful life, no matter how many times he faces difficulties.  Once you have started to live with faith, you must never fall back.  You have to go forward.  God will always use such a person.

 

 

 

Pastor Seok-Jeon Yoon

Extracted from Yonsei Newspaper #492 (Aug 13, 2016)