Blog – 4-29-15
People Made New in Christ
One very important thing I have found along this journey is we are all more alike than we are different. We all are broken, feel let down by others at times, we all hurt people we love, endure incredible pain, experience times of pure joy, and most of all, we all stand before our Heavenly Father in need of real, lasting change. That kind of change can only happen from the inside out and is only available through the grace we all receive through Jesus Christ.
The Good News of the Bible is that we can be exactly what our mission states…people made new in Christ! Oh, we will still mess up, we will still hurt others and get our feelings hurt, we will still experience deep pain, but the difference is where we run when life happens. Our old self would run to the world and look for peace that can never be found. But now, as believers, we can simply fall to our knees and feel God’s peace wash over us as we lay our burdens at His feet. It doesn’t always come that quickly, but if we are persistent about going to Him and laying it at His feet, peace WILL come.
As people made new in Christ, trials become opportunities for growth and deepening of our faith. To be honest, I don’t like the trials. I try to avoid them at all costs. However, when I’m honest with myself, those trials are the times when my faith has grown and I’ve learned to lean deeper into grace. Without trials, I know I would go off again on my own, try to find happiness in the world, and I would never know true peace.
And beware, my friend, because the enemy of our souls will try to whisper in our ears that we can never REALLY change. He will point out every single sin, sneering and laughing at us when we try to change, but stand firm and hold on. Let God speak truth into that lie and help you feel the forgiveness and new life you have already received. Every victory, whether small or monumental, brings us one step closer to the person God created us to be.
You might say, “Well, Jill, I’m not sure I can be a part of Butterfly Nation because I’m not sure I have really been made new. Sometimes I feel like the same old me…I still have doubts, I still have fears, and I mess up way too much.” To that I would say, “I know! I do too! That’s exactly why we need each other and we need Jesus!” Psalm 103:11-12 says, “For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.” God takes our sin and gets it as far away from us as he can…he casts it into a sea of forgetfulness. No matter how we feel, that is God’s word and that is truth!
Butterfly Nation is a place where all are welcome and all are loved! I look forward to sharing the journey with you!
