In light of the other days *heavy* post, I wanted to share this post I had written back in January for the New Year.
It’s just now making it’s debut on my blog…and now I know why I tucked it away.
It was meant for today.
{also? thank you, from the depths of my heart, for all your love and encouragement after that post. you have no idea just how much my spirit needed it. you always continue to bless me.}
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Renew: to make like new: restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection
When I think of the New Year I get excited at the prospect of change and growth.
I love having the marker of knowing that something has ended and something new is beginning. It always brings such hope to know that it’s not too late to turn things around, and so begins the list of goals and resolutions and character traits I want to try to encompass in the year to come.
As I was doing all of this searching and reflecting and pondering on my life this time, I found myself meditating on this word, Renew.
I loved how it absolutely reflected my excitement about the New Year, and how I wished to make things new again….in my marriage, in my relationship with my kids, friends and family.
And, I so longed to be restored to freshness, to be closer to that perfection that Jesus has asked me to be like.
But as I began to think more about all that encompassed, I began to feel a bit like a lost cause.
The more I thought of what I needed to work on, the longer my list became, and the more hopeless I felt.
How would I ever measure up?
How could I ever become the person I have written down on paper?
How can I truly be renewed this year, when in years passed not a whole lot has changed?
Thankfully, the Lord heard my questions as the prayers of my heart, and the next day decided to show me the Truth through my devotions:
“As a Christian, you possess every spiritual resource you need to fulfill God’s will for your life. You needn’t pray for more love, for example, because His love is already poured out in your heart through the Holy Spirit (Rom. 5:5). The same is true of joy (John 15:11), peace (John 14:27), strength (Phil. 4:13)–and every other resource you need. The key to spiritual progress and victory is learning to apply what you already have, not seeking more.” -John MacArthur in Drawing Near
You can’t begin to imagine the restored hope I felt as I realized all that I wanted to attain was already within me!
All that I wanted to renew, already has been, the moment I accepted Christ as my Savior and Lord of Life!!!
What relief it is to know that we needn’t feel hopeless, as long as we continue to live in Him, seeking to know His truth and apply to our lives, we are renewed.
He sent His Son.
Born a Man.
Who was crucified for our sins.
All of this, so we could be renewed.
So He could look upon His children and see us as new.
We don’t need a new year.
We don’t need a new day.
We simply need Christ.
Because truly, it’s only in Him, that we will ever be completely renewed.
Renew: to make like new: restore to freshness, vigor, or perfection
