New

dirty-shirt-500 It’s December 31, 2016 as I am actually writing this. In a few minutes, 2016 will end, die, and the “new” year will begin. Some like new. New opportunities, new hope, a fresh start, but there are those who hang on to the old. It’s kind of like someone continuing to wear an old, worn out, dirty shirt, instead of putting on a new, clean shirt. They probably are not comfortable with something they don’t know how it will fit, or feel, so they continue to wear the old worn one. The same can go for when people accept Jesus. They know He has replaced their old rags (life) with something new, and that they “should” let go of the old life, but they struggle in doing so.

Have you ever realized if Jesus hadn’t of died there would be no new? Without his death, there would be no resurrection. God’s plan of salvation would have been nothing more than a nice gesture, or a generous thought.

2Co 5:17 “Now we look inside, and what we see is that anyone united with the Messiah gets a fresh start, is created new. The old life is gone; a new life burgeons! Look at it!” (MSG, italics mine)

It can be very difficult, but in order to truly live, our old flesh has to die. All of it. So as this new year begins, make a fresh commitment to let God work on you, inside and out. Let the old things pass away, and let new things in. May you learn to get comfortable in how God dresses you. Who knows? You may finally realize what living is meant to be.

“New”. What a short, bu New t powerful little word. We all love something “new”. A “new” house, a “new” car, “new” clothes, or even a “new” relationship (friend or otherwise). When things are “new” they look better, feel better, and perhaps even smell better.

This month we have a “new” year. It’s clean, fresh, it feels good. Another chance to start over, do more, do better, get it right. Like a clean slate. But the reality is unless you make a conscious effort to purposely try harder, do things different, it doesn’t take long for the “new” to get dirty. The new house will need cleaning, and the car will need washing, or the clothes. And that new friend? Well, they will turn out to be like the others have been for the most part. Then you say to yourself, “It’s just another car, another house, another friend, or just another year. No big deal.”

So how do we make this year different? We really cannot help ourselves. Will power? That’s great, but my name isn’t “Will”! If I really want this year to be different, more, better, then I must turn to the one who can empower me to achieve any desires, goals, or resolutions. Jesus is the one who strengthens me, not just for today, or this month, or while the year is new, but all year. Even if I get a little dirt on the year it’s not over, but He cleanses me by forgiving me when I ask, and makes things “new” again.

Here is to New!