What are some of those things that have been giving you self-identity, security, a sense of belonging, and satisfaction? We all have such things in our lives that have made us who we are and are becoming. They may be rooted in the system of the world or founded in the word of God. Everyone who converts to faith is called to leave every ungodly source of influence in their lives. These sources could be the music we listen to, the people we walk with, the movies and programs we watch, the kind of literature we interact with, and even the key figures or people that we look up to.
As long as a new convert is still attached the previous sources of influence, then backsliding is inevitable. Most Christians have failed to grow to spiritual maturity due to lack of positive response to the command of leaving. To experience total spiritual transformation, there must be a total U-turn from our previous lifestyle.
Abraham had to leave everything that gave him identity for God to give new identity (Genesis 12:1). He had to obey God who later restored all he lost in Mesopotamia, He made him father of many nations, gave him many descendants and the land of Canaan. God wants to establish a new culture through our lives. A culture that is based on the word of God. This will happen if we choose to be obedient to God on the “call to leave” as Abraham was. We must choose to listen to the right music, the right people, the right movies, & the right literature.Maybe it is time to leave some of these things that you’ve held dear. Get the right influences in your life.
One girl in our youth ministry had some friends that were bad influences. She admitted that they were like idols in her life. She said she knew she needed to leave them, but she did not know how because every time that they asked her to go out she didn’t have the strength to say know. We advised her to throw away her SIM card and get a new one without telling anyone then delete the phone numbers of her friends. Doing so would mean that her friends were unable to call her and invite her to go out with them. She did just that and avoided seeing them for some time till she was strong enough to go back to them and tell them about the change in her life. Maybe you need to leave all the things that you’ve held dear and lean on Jesus for a while.
For personal reflection and application answer the following questions:
1. What kind of music have you been listening to and how does it contribute to your life with God?……………………………………………………………………………………….
2. What values do your friends uphold and are they reflecting a godly life with God?………………………………………………………………………………………
3. What kind of TV programs or movies do you watch on a frequent basis? Can you invite Christ or your senior pastor to watch along with you?……………………………………………………………
