Are you a cutter? If your answer is no, there are some things missing in your walk. The circumcision is by far the most important act we perform after giving ourselves to God. It is a requirement from God that we shed the old things in our lives so that we make room for the new lives we have in Him. If there is no cutting away of the old man to make room for the new man then there is no room for change. No man not serve two masters (Matthew 6:24) and a a double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). So again I ask, are you a cutter? You should be, and know that the circumcision happens only once but it has to be maintained. Just the same if you cut your grass, it doesn't stay that way forever just because you want it to. No, you have to put in the work and make it a routine. It is a weekly task to keep you lawn mowed and to make sure that it is maintained at a certain level.
So why is it that we think that we can cut away the old man and move on as if nothing has ever been changed. The things that are cut away leave residual issues that we must continue to perform maintenance on daily. There are flaws that we have brought into our new lives that we must constantly address. Before the cutting away process there are worldly issues that we have; lust, foul language, foul thoughts, unstable attitudes and emotions, lack of consideration for anyone other than ourselves, and a host of other things too long and too many to mention. The true point here is that "once cut not always cut", this is an ongoing process. We must always be on the look out for the old man that wants to take up residence in his old dwelling place. After all, who likes to be kicked out of the only home they have ever known, only to find out that they have been replaced.
The old man doesn't think that he has done anything wrong, after all you two have been together all your lives and you never once complained about the way things have been going. You two have not been fighting and bickering, there has been no conflict of interest (at least not in his eyes), and there was no talk of change (not like he was listening to that conversation anyway). So why is it, if we were the one's that gave the old man his walking papers, do we allow him to crash on couch a few days a week so to speak. The answer is clear, we have not yet learned to be cutters. It is absolutely crucial in our walk to be diligent in the removing of ever aspect of the old man.
In closing I want to encourage you that God knows your heart and your struggle. He knows how hard you have it and the steps you are taking to be the person He called you to be. Don't be discouraged if you continue cutting one day you will find that there is nothing left to cut. You have made it to the finish line and you are standing in front of our Father ready to receive your reward which is your name in the Lambs Book of Life.
