Calvin Killed Bob

A couple of months ago, my daughter Olivia got a hamster named Bob. Bob was incredibly cute. Calvin, our cat, thought so, too. He knocked his cage off of Olivia's bureau and by the time we got there, Bob had somehow managed to get his head caught in the side of the cage and was hanging - dead. Whether he got caught accidently, or killed himself, we'll never know. Either way, it's Calvin's fault.

But I really can't complain about Calvin. You see, he's very good at catching mice. He has rid the yard, the shed and everywhere else of mice, rats and moles. I can't have it both ways - I can't complain when he kills the family rodent and then turn around and praise him when he kills the rodents in the yard. It's his nature to do both. It's what he does. Why? Because he's a CAT! It's what cats do.

The nature of a beast will not change. It is what it is. Your old nature will not change. It is a beast and you can't modify it, you can't transform it, you can't teach it and you can't train it. It is bent on sin and if left unattended it will destroy every part of your life that's in it's path. And like Calvin, you really can't complain -it's who it is.

So what do you do with this old nature? It must be crucified every morning. Read Romans 6 and you'll know what I'm talking about. You can't play with it and then complain that you're in a place of life you don't want to be in. It's time to stop making excuses. Your old nature is not going to change - you must either live with it or make a decision to have victory over it by the power of the Cross. You must bring it to the Cross every day and crucify it, along with all of its lusts and passions. Otherwise . . . well, just look at what happened to Bob.

No more excuses.