2 Corinthians 5:17
When someone becomes a Christian, he becomes a brand new person inside. He is not the same anymore. A new life has begun!
The
Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by
permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois
60188. All rights reserved.
Yesterday,
we added another member to the Robus family when Ellie Grace made her
entrance into the world at 7:50 a.m. Weighing in at 8 pounds 9 ounces
and measuring 20¾” long, this daughter of Leslie and John (who is
Greg's nephew) is new and fresh…and “the world is her oyster”! Ellie
Grace is a blank canvas…all of her life stretches before her. For the
moment, she is pure and unblemished. As she grows and progresses, she
will develop characteristics and personality traits - and find her place
in the world. She will make her presence known…and at some point, she
will form opinions and attitudes – from the first time she spits out a
green veggie she doesn’t like to the day she goes off to college and
makes countless choices all by herself.
But for now, she is
flawless and unencumbered…without a care in the world! Her parents will
handle everything…feeding, changing, bathing, cuddling and protecting
her. All she has to do is snuggle against them and settle in for lots
of naps and hugs - and goofy looks and coos from the adults who will
adore her.
Each and every one of us has more than a few years
“under our belts”. And with those years comes baggage…lessons we
learned…mistakes we made…bad choices and poor decisions…guilt – and
maybe even a heavy dose of shame in many cases. Don’t you ever wish you
could just wipe the slate clean and start over? Maybe you have done
this, so to speak. If you’ve given your heart to Jesus, this was
essentially what He offered you - new life…a brand new start…a chance to
pull out a fresh sheet of paper and let Him paint a new masterpiece
that would represent your life in Him.
The problem is that many
of us invited Jesus into our hearts…then pretty much went right back to
our old lives. We didn’t embrace what God offered us through the blood
of Jesus – for any number of reasons – and as a result, our lives are
anything but restful and peaceful. Our old lives of sin bring with them
a boat load of turmoil…and too many of us are wallowing in this
needlessly!
It’s time to embrace our new life in Christ…to
truly rest in the grace, mercy, and forgiveness of Salvation through the
blood of Jesus…to snuggle against His chest and be soothed by His love
and kindness. We must never become complacent. There is a difference
between resting in the LORD and “resting on our laurels” or becoming
smug and lazy. Christians are called to work and to serve…but we are
also offered help with the burdens. Jesus offers to carry the brunt of
the load and give us the rest and peace that we so desperately need.
We
cannot literally return to the simplicity of that first year of life
that awaits Ellie Grace…but we can enjoy all of the rest and peace that
Jesus offers when we give our hearts to Him. Have you accepted His gift
of Salvation and truly left your “old life” behind in exchange for the
new one He offers? Regardless of when you initially surrendered to
Christ, this can be the day that you start to truly live your “new life”
in Him. Are you ready to begin the “first year of the rest of your
life” in Christ - and fully rest in His blessings?
©2014 Debbie Robus
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