Cut it Off, Pluck it Out

In Matthew 18:8-9 Christ asks us to cut off our hand, foot or pluck out our eye if it offends us. Now Christ really does not want us to chop off our limbs or get rid of certain body parts. But what he is saying is that if there is anything in our life that is not serving us right or offends us we need to get rid of it. And by getting rid of these things, we can become more Christ-like and focus on the things that really matter. Just like cutting off your hand or foot or plucking out your eye, these adjustments will be painful. But they will be for the better.

I had a friend this past year who did not have a great influence on me. I could not feel the spirit when I was around him. I also noticed that I acted differently because of him, and I did not like the person I was becoming. I also started swearing a lot when I was around this friend and even in everyday conversation. I thought I was being cool or funny, but after a while I did not feel good. I decided that I had to clean up my language so I could feel the spirit. And I just felt a lot happier speaking with clean language. Even though it was hard, I decided that I would stop hanging out with this friend, and after a week or so I noticed a huge difference. I was able to feel the spirit more and it totally blessed my life.

If there is anything in your life that is hindering you from feeling the spirit or from being more Christ-like, get rid of it. And do it now! I can promise you that you will be blessed for doing this. It will not be easy at first, but it will definitely be worth it.