Dead to the old way of living
Being born again implies that what one’s life has been in the past is not alive anymore. In my experience--being born again has required a process of daily renewal and transformation, from the putting off the old and putting on the new. This is perhaps a lifelong process, of continuous falling down and getting back up again. Regrettably my story is quite sordid and disgraceful…and I feel very stupid and embarrassed when I recount all the things I have put my wife and family through, due to my own pridefulness, ungratefulness, self absorption and impulsive behavior. Over the years it seems that the Spirit has systematically peeled layer after layer of falsehood off my essential true self, enabling me to gradually cease living a lie and to face the honest truth about my own weaknesses. For many years I sought to compensate for these weaknesses and insecurities through attitudes of pride, arrogance, insensitivity, sarcasm and a lack of compassion for those around me. My poor judgment and