… and be renewed in the spirit of your mind,and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:24 NKJV)
The word new practically sparkles, then shines itself right off the page: new car, house, dress, haircut, job. Don’t we all get just a little excited at the thought of something new?
It’s pristine and clean, uncorrupted, unblemished, undamaged. And something about its newness gives us a sensation of being new ourselves.
A new car will make me classier. The new house will make me happier. A new dress will make me prettier … and so on and so forth.
The problem is this newness doesn’t last. It soon succumbs to the destructive elements of the world in which it exists.
Right now most of us may be anticipating the tradition of celebrating the arrival of 2022. We’ve evaluated the past year and decided what we want to do or how we want to be better. Perhaps we’ve scattered notes of encouragement around our spaces to affirm our goals. We’ve set timers on our phones and possibly enlisted the help of accountability partners. This year will be different. This will be the year I become … new.
Then we drive that car off the lot, and immediately it’s value drops. Road grime accumulates along the fenders. Bugs guts appear on the windshield. The paint fades beneath the sun’s glare. And is that a ding in the door?
Life is messy
Our best plans for the coming year go down just the same. Life happens. It’s messy out there.
And we’re messy people. We’re people with wounds and fears. We make mistakes and poor choices. We find the wrong answers and forget the miracle of our creation.
But unlike the once pristine car or dress, we can be made new every day.
We have the ability to be renewed in the spirit of our minds and put on the new man daily (see Ephesians 4:24).
In Revelation 21:5, Jesus says, ““Behold, I make all things new.” Then He says some of my favorite words in Scripture, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”
Before we put pen and paper to those resolutions, let’s write out the promises of God that truly do make us new.
About Lori…
Her first novel, A Firm Place to Stand, released in January 2020. In between writing, Lori enjoys traveling with her husband and visiting her adult children where she can rummage through their refrigerators and food pantries while complaining there’s nothing good to eat here.
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