Installation Failure

The other day I was trying to download a new anti-virus software. The process was going along without a hitch and then near the end of the process I received a message that the “installation failed.”

Apparently, the anti-virus software I wanted to install was incompatible with the old version I had – which I found is usually the case. I could not “put on” the new software until I “took off” the old software.

Here’s the spiritual lesson. Many people try to download new Christian habits without removing the habits from their old life (life prior to becoming a believer). It seems that this will work at first. Bar-hopping weekdays (worldly habits) and Bible study on Sundays (to use an extreme example for emphasis) appears to go off without a hitch -- at least for a while.

Soon, fewer and fewer times are spent in Bible reading, prayer, fellowship and other matters. Bar-hopping snuffs out spiritual growth. The installation of new wholesome habits fails.

The Bible says that in order to “put on” new habits of faith one must “put off” (lay aside) the old way of walking in “futility” and “falsehood” (Ephesians 4:17-25). The old habits of one’s pre-Christian life are completely incompatible with the wholesome habits of Christianity. Trying to put on the new without removing the old will cause an “installation failure.”

To become a fully functioning follower of Christ one must practice continuous and honest self-evaluation. A great help in this venture will be a small group experience where you are able to give and receive correction in accordance with God's Word, under the guidance of a called and anointed pastor, and in the security of others who love you and want the best for you. This small group will help you "unlearn" the bad habits you have developed over time.

As someone wiser than I once said, “Becoming a devoted follower of Jesus Christ is as much about what we unlearn as it is what we learn.”