Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Maybe not all, but probably a lot of us, remind ourselves through our daily thoughts and choices, of who we used to be. We are reminded by others and by the enemy, of the old things. The old things about ourselves that have passed away, according to His word, when we accepted Christ as our Savior...and Lord. They are not now. They are no more. They have not been for a while, because Christ has cleared them away and set us free. But, we remember and we're reminded. And some days we try, and some days we are successful, to breathe life into what is promised is gone. Then we can feel guilty and afraid. We didn't and can't forget, so they must still be here. The old things are what we know; what we learned to expect. They are what we still carry into the room with us, and what we think people still see. This is a perfect example of when to apply God's Word to our belief. If our belief is in contradiction to His word...we are believing a lie. Because for the lie we have our history or proof to back it up, the truth is a hope we can't yet see...until we believe and begin to walk it out.
Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Behold, new things have come...
I have to remind myself of that. I'm really good at reminding myself of all of my insecurities, inabilities, insufficiencies, anxieties and fears. If you've read any of my blog before you probably have read about some of those. I can remind myself easily of the failures. Relationship failures. Achievement failures. Grace failures. So when I come up to new relationships, new tasks or journeys, new grace to give or receive, my first thoughts many times are to rehearse the ways things haven't worked before. Those insecure conclusions I've drawn from those failures. Those are the rocks I have found myself trying to stand on at times. Confident I know how this ends because the old things; the old fears, the old insecurities, the times I wasn't enough. Not strong enough, smart enough, skinny enough, good enough, classy enough, unclassy enough, close enough, far enough, young enough, old enough. Sometimes instead of enough I've been too. Too much of something or other. And it's hard to believe otherwise. We operate under the "seeing is believing" mindset. I haven't seen me new, so I don't quite believe it yet. But faith is believing in things unseen (Hebrews 11:1). And in the case of the new you, believing is seeing. What we believe determines how we operate. God keeps reminding me through His word and His Spirit to do things different than I've always done. I remind Him of how it's always been, justifying my insecurity. "You are not who you were, I am making you new." He says. But, I remind him, look at my proof of who I am. Then, in His great patience, He reminds me to "look at the proof of who I AM." Now maybe have a seat (on an airplane) and hush a little bit, Haley.
In Christ, either the old things passed away, or they didn't. Either His word is true or it isn't. Either I believe it or I don't. I'm convinced it's true a 100 times over, so the problem lies in my belief. Though the Father of Lies has deceived and destroyed in my life for years, I'm coming to the belief, finally, that through Christ I've been enough all along (not that nothing needed(s) to change), but I allowed people and circumstances to determine otherwise. I let them have the authority that only He has over me. I am enough, not because of me, but because He is my strength, I can do all things through Him. His grace is sufficient, my anxieties cast on him I will fear no evil. The new things have come. They are now. They are for always and ever. His word, applied to my life, changes my life. In all the good ways. And, not only that I'm enough, but those I love are enough, too. They don't need to be conformed to my image for them...God already has a plan for them. Free to be loved, and free to love. Free to go, and to stay. Free to try, and sometimes to fail. Transformed by the renewal of the mind. Some of you may not have any insecurities, or resolved all this with God at a much earlier time in life than me. We all have different journeys and humbly (sometimes with my eyes closed) I'm laying mine out for you now. It's part of the trusting in Him to share my story to point to Him that he calls me to.
What is new about you since Christ? Take a little inventory to give thanks and remind yourself of who He is, and who you are in Him. What do you keep reminding Him, or yourself, about who you are/were? That is where you need to be reminded that "the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." Believe and see.
Every time the Lord takes me again to share Hope, I get to live again the radical new that has come since Christ. I was slow to give him the reigns though, and I have a lot of old things to remember. My flesh tries to remind me to be afraid to feel insecure, and I still get attacked, but my Savior reminds me I'm enough, I am new, already and forever. He reminds me I am your Savior, and your Lord now, and I am doing a new thing. I know the plans I have for you. I love you with an everlasting love...and have all along. I am not who you've been afraid I was, and you are not who you've been convinced you were. Put the chains down. I am in you. You are new. Believe and see. Go and do. Love and trust. That is true for all of us who are in Christ. Not just for someone "working in ministry", or who went to seminary, or whatever other qualifier you may use to disqualify yourself. You are loved by God and the Savior of the world. You can choose to deny it, but it doesn't change it. You can choose to not accept it, but that doesn't mean it isn't there for you. You can stay who you always were, or you can become who you were always meant to be...loved and free, right where you are.
Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
I spent most of the weekend preparing for the next trip that begins this coming Sunday. I will be gone for 23 days, home for 8, gone again for 9, in Albania, Italy, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Georgia (not the one with peaches), and Germany. The more I believe, the more I see. The more God works His grace into my life, the more opportunities He gives me to pour it out into others. Those who know me best, and have seen me at my worst, know only God could take where I was and bring me to where I am, and faithfully to where I'm going. He is as real as you sitting there reading this. And He knows you. And he loves you. And He wants you to know Him. He is my confidence. His Word, not my past, is the rock and truth I now stand on. Believing is seeing.
Maybe not all, but probably a lot of us, remind ourselves through our daily thoughts and choices, of who we used to be. We are reminded by others and by the enemy, of the old things. The old things about ourselves that have passed away, according to His word, when we accepted Christ as our Savior...and Lord. They are not now. They are no more. They have not been for a while, because Christ has cleared them away and set us free. But, we remember and we're reminded. And some days we try, and some days we are successful, to breathe life into what is promised is gone. Then we can feel guilty and afraid. We didn't and can't forget, so they must still be here. The old things are what we know; what we learned to expect. They are what we still carry into the room with us, and what we think people still see. This is a perfect example of when to apply God's Word to our belief. If our belief is in contradiction to His word...we are believing a lie. Because for the lie we have our history or proof to back it up, the truth is a hope we can't yet see...until we believe and begin to walk it out.
Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
Behold, new things have come...
I have to remind myself of that. I'm really good at reminding myself of all of my insecurities, inabilities, insufficiencies, anxieties and fears. If you've read any of my blog before you probably have read about some of those. I can remind myself easily of the failures. Relationship failures. Achievement failures. Grace failures. So when I come up to new relationships, new tasks or journeys, new grace to give or receive, my first thoughts many times are to rehearse the ways things haven't worked before. Those insecure conclusions I've drawn from those failures. Those are the rocks I have found myself trying to stand on at times. Confident I know how this ends because the old things; the old fears, the old insecurities, the times I wasn't enough. Not strong enough, smart enough, skinny enough, good enough, classy enough, unclassy enough, close enough, far enough, young enough, old enough. Sometimes instead of enough I've been too. Too much of something or other. And it's hard to believe otherwise. We operate under the "seeing is believing" mindset. I haven't seen me new, so I don't quite believe it yet. But faith is believing in things unseen (Hebrews 11:1). And in the case of the new you, believing is seeing. What we believe determines how we operate. God keeps reminding me through His word and His Spirit to do things different than I've always done. I remind Him of how it's always been, justifying my insecurity. "You are not who you were, I am making you new." He says. But, I remind him, look at my proof of who I am. Then, in His great patience, He reminds me to "look at the proof of who I AM." Now maybe have a seat (on an airplane) and hush a little bit, Haley.
In Christ, either the old things passed away, or they didn't. Either His word is true or it isn't. Either I believe it or I don't. I'm convinced it's true a 100 times over, so the problem lies in my belief. Though the Father of Lies has deceived and destroyed in my life for years, I'm coming to the belief, finally, that through Christ I've been enough all along (not that nothing needed(s) to change), but I allowed people and circumstances to determine otherwise. I let them have the authority that only He has over me. I am enough, not because of me, but because He is my strength, I can do all things through Him. His grace is sufficient, my anxieties cast on him I will fear no evil. The new things have come. They are now. They are for always and ever. His word, applied to my life, changes my life. In all the good ways. And, not only that I'm enough, but those I love are enough, too. They don't need to be conformed to my image for them...God already has a plan for them. Free to be loved, and free to love. Free to go, and to stay. Free to try, and sometimes to fail. Transformed by the renewal of the mind. Some of you may not have any insecurities, or resolved all this with God at a much earlier time in life than me. We all have different journeys and humbly (sometimes with my eyes closed) I'm laying mine out for you now. It's part of the trusting in Him to share my story to point to Him that he calls me to.
What is new about you since Christ? Take a little inventory to give thanks and remind yourself of who He is, and who you are in Him. What do you keep reminding Him, or yourself, about who you are/were? That is where you need to be reminded that "the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come." Believe and see.
Every time the Lord takes me again to share Hope, I get to live again the radical new that has come since Christ. I was slow to give him the reigns though, and I have a lot of old things to remember. My flesh tries to remind me to be afraid to feel insecure, and I still get attacked, but my Savior reminds me I'm enough, I am new, already and forever. He reminds me I am your Savior, and your Lord now, and I am doing a new thing. I know the plans I have for you. I love you with an everlasting love...and have all along. I am not who you've been afraid I was, and you are not who you've been convinced you were. Put the chains down. I am in you. You are new. Believe and see. Go and do. Love and trust. That is true for all of us who are in Christ. Not just for someone "working in ministry", or who went to seminary, or whatever other qualifier you may use to disqualify yourself. You are loved by God and the Savior of the world. You can choose to deny it, but it doesn't change it. You can choose to not accept it, but that doesn't mean it isn't there for you. You can stay who you always were, or you can become who you were always meant to be...loved and free, right where you are.
Therefore, if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17
I spent most of the weekend preparing for the next trip that begins this coming Sunday. I will be gone for 23 days, home for 8, gone again for 9, in Albania, Italy, Sri Lanka, Turkey, Georgia (not the one with peaches), and Germany. The more I believe, the more I see. The more God works His grace into my life, the more opportunities He gives me to pour it out into others. Those who know me best, and have seen me at my worst, know only God could take where I was and bring me to where I am, and faithfully to where I'm going. He is as real as you sitting there reading this. And He knows you. And he loves you. And He wants you to know Him. He is my confidence. His Word, not my past, is the rock and truth I now stand on. Believing is seeing.
