I really hate my old man. Seriously! Not as much as I hate my self but sometimes my old man really gets to me. Every time I turn around, there he is. It’s frustrating! You see, my old man is not a very nice person; he’s hateful, selfish, and on top of that, he thinks he knows everything. The only thing he cares about is tending to his own needs. Frankly, I thought he would have died years ago but he’s still hanging around. It seems I never can do the things I want to do because my old man’s always got other plans. The thing is, he never wants to do anything or go anywhere that is good for me.

For instance, the other night I was going to go to church for Revival Week but my old man wanted to stay home and watch the Flyers. He said he was too tired and besides we had already been to church on Sunday. Then I got a phone call. Halfway into the conversation I heard my old man pick up the other line. The call got ugly. The next day, I started to give this homeless guy some money and my old man told me that the guy wasn’t really homeless; just a scam artist. So, I put my money back in my pocket. I spent the money at Wendy’s, driving up my cholesterol count. My old man doesn’t care about my health anyway. When I really stop to think about it, he doesn’t care much about my spiritual health either. He’s always bothering me when I try to read my Bible or pray. Every time I try to pray for someone else, he reminds me of all the stuff I need, like he really cares. I know I would be better off if he were dead. If I’d just do the right thing, I’d put my self to death too. But I lack the courage and discipline on my own. I need help.

I think the Apostle Paul understood when he wrote, "I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do--this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:15-24). That’s it. Even Paul needed help getting rid of his old man?

I don’t know about you, but I wrestle with my faith every day. Not just theologically, but practically. Thank God for grace. Each day, something different confronts me, which forces me to make a decision; old man or new man? I think it’s the same for all of us. Christianity isn’t an easy path. The road is narrow. There isn’t room for the old man to walk beside you. But Christ walks in front of us, alone, showing us the way. Paul begins chapter 8 of Romans with these words, "Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1-2). How great is that? Even though I hang around my old man too much, Christ doesn’t condemn me for it. I borrowed the title for this Razzle from an old Petra song. It caused a lot of controversy back in the 70’s but today the words are just as poignant. By the way, how’s your old man doing? Does he only come around for an occasional visit or do you see way too much of him? Might be time to pray about getting rid of him. You for me, and I for you.