day no. 15,551: refusing to associate with yourself

"It is tough to refuse to associate any longer with the person you are -- to set aside your own desires, ambitions, dreams, goals, and come empty-handed, broken, and contrite to Christ." 
-- John MacArthur, Humility: An Essential for Ministry; The John MacArthur Handbook of Effective Biblical Leadership 

There are certain people we should refuse even to associate with and those who end their sentences with prepositions need not be numbered among them. The first person you should refuse to have further sympathetic dealings with is your former self. If you are a Christian, your former self is dead. Stop necromancing and begin communing with the living God. The time for being who you were is over. That is why you led that man to the cross and crucified him along with Christ. That is one tomb which should remain sealed. 

It is difficult to ghost people though. If you have any degree of sensitivity, you feel badly about cutting someone off so severely. And if it is that difficult to do with someone you must imagine, it is all the more difficult to do with the person who shares residence in your body. The old man is dead, but he sure makes a lot of noise. He haunts your house. But you must refuse to associate with your self. You must cut yourself off and stay strong. Don't go back to courting yourself. Don't return to that abusive relationship because it was better than the unknown or the fear of being alone. In Christ, you are not alone and you don't have to sympathize with yourself. You are free to follow Him knowing that He is looking out for you. You don't have to comfort yourself because He is your Comforter. You don't have to save yourself, He is your Savior.