It was a good, long day. Starting and ending with different men’s groups at St. Michael. Tonight was our CRHP men’s group at Church… I enjoy getting to know these men and their stories, and I am really excited to grow more and work towards putting on the retreat in November. We always go in depth on a Bible passage, here is my personal reflection on Ephesians 4:17–24. This was a well timed passage after the movie I watched yesterday too, about putting off our old self and becoming renewed in Jesus.
Lord, I hear You in this passage loud and clear—and I receive it not as judgment, but as an invitation to step into the life You died to give me.
There was a time I lived just like the Gentiles described by Paul: lost in the futility of my thinking, chasing false comfort and self-gratification, believing lies that fed my ego and numbed my heart. I was darkened in my understanding, not because I didn’t know about You, but because I had hardened my heart to You. I drifted far from Your life—Your joy, Your truth, Your peace—because I thought I could control my own healing and manage my own mess.
My desires led me deeper into impurity and greed—not just greed for money or success, but for attention, validation, escape. I indulged in the temporary, hoping it would numb the ache of shame, guilt, and fear. But it only made me feel more empty. I see now that was my old self—the false self that was dying a slow death, even as I tried to keep it alive.
But that’s not the life You taught me. That’s not who I am anymore.
Jesus, You’ve shown me a better way. You’ve called me into truth, into light, into freedom. You’ve told me I can put off that old self—not patch it up or pretend it’s fine—but let it die. And in its place, You’re offering me a new self… a new heart, a new mind, a new identity. One that isn’t shaped by shame or past wounds or the lies of the world, but by righteousness and holiness, crafted in Your image.
So Lord, today—and every day—I surrender again. I take off the masks. I lay down the habits that once defined me. I let go of the thoughts that darken my mind. I turn from the life that leads me away from You.
Renew me in the attitude of my mind. Remind me who I am in Christ. Help me walk each day as a new creation, not perfectly, but honestly—with integrity, humility, and grace.
I don’t want the old life back. I want to live fully alive in You.
And Lord, it’s not enough for me to just experience this renewal for myself. You’ve stirred in me a desire to help others see what they’ve been blind to for so long. So many are still trapped in that old self, thinking it’s all they’ll ever be. They’ve grown used to the ache of emptiness, the pressure of performance, the isolation of pretending. But I see it now, and I want to help them see it too: the false self is not who they are. It’s just a mask—one You’re ready to strip away, if only they’ll trust You.
That’s why I feel called to coach, to guide, to walk with men and women who are done playing the game and ready for something real. Not religion. Not just self-help. But deep soul work—transformation in Christ. I want to help them grieve what’s been lost, name what’s been false, and step into who they were always created to be. New selves. Whole hearts. Fully alive. Made new in the image of You. That’s my passion. That’s my mission. And I know You’ll equip me as I keep saying yes.
