What comes naturally
"You then, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus."(NIV) 2 Timothy 2:1
Bible Reading: 2 Timothy 2:3-5
The story is told about an elderly man who retired after many years in the Army. One day a man who knew about his long and distinguished military career decided to play a prank on him. As the old soldier walked down the street with his arms full of packages, the jokester sneaked up behind him and shouted, "Attention!" Without hesitation, the military man dropped his arms to his side, and every package went tumbling to the sidewalk. Without a conscious thought, the veteran was doing what comes naturally for a soldier.
Similarly, as believers in Christ, after having obeyed the Gospel, we should respond in a manner that corresponds with our new life. Our behaviour is to be more and more in line with the example of Jesus life. We still must deal with sinful desires, so we need to discipline ourselves to be the kind of person God wants us to be. Like a soldier or athlete in training (2 Timothy 2:3-5), we need to practice repeatedly until doing what's right comes naturally.
Through faith in Christ we are children of the heavenly Father, therefore, let us develop the habit of submitting to God's Word. Then, in every situation of life we will increasingly find that obeying Him is "doing what comes naturally." The longer we walk with Christ, the more we become like Him.