The end of one year and the beginning of a new one is often a time of reflection and preparation. There are things to pick up, and others to lay aside. I was listening to Noel Richard’s moving song ‘You laid aside Your majesty’ the other day, which is based on the hymn Paul quotes in Philippians 2:7, celebrating Christ’s willingness to empty Himself of the divine glory and be born as a vulnerable baby.

It led me to ponder other occasions in Scripture where the phrase ‘laying aside’ is used. Some of the verses I have referenced here are taken from obscure and unfamiliar translations – it is always good to discover new ways of looking at familiar verses! Some of these bring new depths of gentleness and poignancy.

May I encourage you to read them through slowly, and to pause and pray with any that speak especially to you.

Lay aside the old self

The night is advancing, and the day is nearing; let us lay aside, therefore, the works of the darkness, and put on the armour of the light. Lay aside your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires. All flesh is like grass, and all its glory like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.” Therefore, lay aside all maliciousness, and all guile, and dissimulation, and envy, and all backbiting. Lay aside all anger, rage, wickedness, slander and abusive language.

Lay aside your ambition, and become as children. Lay aside the hidden things of disgrace, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but in the manifestation of the truth, commending yourselves to every conscience of men, before God. Lay aside falsehood, and tell your neighbours the truth, for we are members one of another.

Lay aside simple ways, and live; walk in the way of understanding. Seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.
(Adapted from Rom. 13:12; Eph. 4:22; 1 Pet 1:25-2:1; Col. 3:8; Matt 18:3; 2 Cor. 4:2; Eph. 4:25; Pr. 9:6; Heb. 12:1)

Lay aside fear and anxiety

Lay aside your fears, because your faith has cured you. Lay aside your fears, for you are of a superior rank to animals. Don’t be concerned about what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; but lay aside all your anxiety.
(Adapted from Matt. 9:22; 10:31; Lk. 12:29)

Lay aside in preparation

On the first day of the week let each one of you lay aside in store as God has prospered you.

I will soon lay aside my tent, as our Lord Jesus Christ has also shown me. We do not wish to lay aside that with which we are now clothed, but to put on more, so that our mortal life may be absorbed in Life.

But as we lay aside the veil, the divine light gradually informs the mind, according as we attend to that spiritual sense, which points out the Lord.
(Adapted from 1 Cor. 16:2; 2 Pet 1:14; 2 Cor. 5:4; 3:18)
Amen.

Photo by Alex Shute on Unsplash