Are you wearing your new nature?

I’m one of those people who grew up poor but didn’t know it.

One thing that pointed to my family’s limited resources was the few choices available in wardrobe selections. I remember a stretch of time as a kid when I had two pair of pants, one to wear while the other was being laundered, and it wasn’t uncommon for both pants to have patches ironed onto the knees.

Being so limited, it wasn’t often that we were able to buy new clothes. But when we were able to do so, I remember how excited about — and impatient I was — to put on and wear my new outfit. It felt so good to be wearing something new!

As Christians, I think God wants us to have a genuine enthusiasm for putting on the new nature He has provided for us through Jesus Christ. It’s God’s desire that we take off and toss away that dirty old nature we used to wear, and put on the clean, holy nature He has for us. The Apostle Paul describes this opportunity to change our “spiritual clothes” this way …

But that isn’t what you learned about Christ. Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception. Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes. Put on your new nature, created to be like God — truly righteous and holy. – Ephesians 4:20-24.

In yesterday’s blog post titled “It’s more than putting lipstick on a pig …,” I wrote about how our becoming a Christian is more than behavioral modification but something that requires our being “born again.” It’s a spiritual work that we cannot do for ourselves. As Paul points out in the text above, it is a matter of allowing the Holy Spirit to renew our thoughts and attitudes — to transform us internally; then our external behavior will directly reflect that internal change.

But Paul goes on to help us understand we need to work with, to cooperate with, the Holy Spirit. As He transforms us, we need to daily put on the new nature He provides for us.

To help us understand how we do that, Paul provides some practical ways that we put on our new nature. Note how he contrasts elements of our sin nature that need to be thrown out with elements of our new nature we should put on …

“So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body. And ‘don’t sin by letting anger control you.’ Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. If you are a thief, quit stealing. Instead, use your hands for good hard work, and then give generously to others in need. Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you,” Ephesians 4:25-32.

God has provided an awesome new set of “spiritual clothes” for us to wear!

But can you believe that many of us still reach for that dirty old nature we used to wear every day?

We need to have a desire to wear something much better for us! But wanting what’s best for us is something we still struggle with. An example of that is seen in what we choose to feed our bodies. Cafeteria food has long been the butt of jokes among every generation of students since first being introduced in public schools across America. And today is no exception; only, today’s kids aren’t joking. They are protesting, boycotting, and taking to Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to express their displeasure with the food they are being served in their school cafeterias. Interestingly, though, their beef isn’t about bad food, but good food — actually, “good for you” food. Vivian Yee, of the NY Times reports:

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, which required public schools to follow new nutritional guidelines this academic year to receive extra federal lunch aid, has created a nationwide version of the age-old parental challenge: persuading children to eat what is good for them.

Because the lunches must now include fruits and vegetables, those who clamor for more cheese-laden nachos may find string beans and a peach cup instead. Because of limits on fat and sodium, some of those who crave French fries get baked sweet-potato wedges. Because of calorie restrictions, meat and carbohydrate portions are smaller. Gone is two-percent chocolate milk, replaced by skim. …

Students organized lunch strikes in a suburb of Pittsburgh, where in late August the hashtag “brownbagginit” was trending on Twitter, and outside Milwaukee, where the Mukwonago High School principal, Shawn McNulty, said participation in the lunch program had fallen 70 percent. …

In New Jersey, more than 1,200 people have joined a Facebook group that urges Parsippany Hills High School students to boycott the school lunches. Despite the enticement of a Chinese-themed lunch a week ago Friday, the first day of the strike, only a few students bought anything from the cafeteria, according to the strike organizers.

The set lunch that cost $2.50 last year now costs $2.60. The cafeteria still offers pizza, French fries and chicken nuggets, but all of the servings have shrunk. And the packaged baby carrots and apples that each student must take before leaving the lunch line usually end up in the trash, said Brandon Faris, a boycott organizer.

Schools aren’t ready to give up on the healthier lunches just yet. “Research shows that children must be exposed to vegetables 10 to 12 times before they will eat them on their own,” said William J. McCarthy, a professor of public health and psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles. He and many food service directors suggest that the most effective strategy for getting kids to finally embrace the healthy fare may simply be staying the course with patience.

Like kids who don’t want to eat their veggies, we can be stubborn about giving up our old nature and former way of life ” … which is corrupted by lust and deception …” and choosing to replace it with our new nature “… created to be like God — truly righteous and holy.”

What are you clothing yourself with, your old nature, or the new nature provided through Jesus Christ?

Scotty