
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV)
It is officially a new year. For most, this is a time for reflection and goal setting. Looking behind to see all we have accomplished and forward to what we hope to do. All over the world people are in a frenzy, making vision boards, purchasing gym subscriptions, setting financial goals and starting diets. There is nothing wrong with this, but the Lord has impressed on my heart that it is far more important to become new, than to achieve new.
According to Drive Research statistics, 92% of adults will not follow through on a resolution1. There are many practical reasons this happens, whether we set unrealistic goals, lack accountability or simply lose motivation. Jesus also shines some light on this subject.
In the book of Mathew, Jesus uses the illustration of old and new wineskins to demonstrate the new nature of the faith. The new thing Jesus was doing could not fit into the old wineskins of Judaism. I wonder if this principle could also be applied to our individual walk and maturity in Christ.
We are often so eager to see new and exciting things happen in our lives, but ignore the crucial step of letting go. Is it possible that we are holding ourselves back?
If I have the goal to love difficult people but am still operating from a place of offense, then I have not fully taken up my identity and worth in Christ. If I am holding onto hurt from a past experience and allowing that to be an excuse to write off anything similar, then I am operating in unbelief toward God’s ability to restore.
In the past few months, the Lord has called me to new responsibilities, new behaviors and a new level of dependence on Him. He is calling me to do things the old me could never do. But to take hold of a new life, I must first take hold of the “new man” God has created in me. All of my old thinking, my old fears, my old coping mechanisms and unhealthy comforts are to be put to death. The old me no longer exists.
He made it clear that if I try to take up this new life operating in the old me, I will fail. I think this is why most New Year's resolutions are never achieved.
Put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Even though I have been a believer for over 10 years now, I am still constantly faced with opportunities to let go of the old and take up the new. Even in our seemingly good Christian lives, we can get comfortable in a season God has placed us in and overstay our welcome due to fear of the unknown. But we are not meant to stop, in the Christian life, growth is ongoing. It could be something small, like giving in to the belief that I can't have self-discipline. Even a small lie like this will keep us from the full Joy of a Godly life.
Ephesians 4, verse 18 points out that the Gentiles were alienated from the life of God because of their ignorance and hardened hearts. Though we know Jesus to be the Christ, I think this can be a warning for us. Jesus doesn’t want to just make an impression on our lives or make them better, He wants to completely renew our lives in every way.
We must be diligent in renewing our minds with the word of God, becoming more and more familiar with it. As we do, the Holy Spirit will reveal new truths to us. In addition, we must choose to believe in every area of our lives. Do not let doubt, disappointment or pain sway your faith in the eternal God. The more we trust and depend on God in every moment, the more successful we will be because he is faithful to help us.
Discovering the new me has been a long and hard journey and yet I have a longer one ahead still. But I wouldn’t change a thing. Surrendering my life to Jesus is the most worthwhile thing I have ever done… and ever will. With every exchange of old for new, there is always freedom and joy waiting on the other side. Every mournful conviction, captive thought and cut-off desire is eclipsed by the satisfaction of becoming someone who bears the image of God.
We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. (Romans 6:4 ESV)

Remember to prioritize firsthand Bible reading every day, only the Word has the power to transform. "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."2 Timothy 3:16-17 ESV
2 Mathew 9:16-17
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