2 Corinthians 5:14b-19
Since we believe that Christ
died for all of us, we should also believe that we have died to the old
life we used to live. He died for all so that all who live—having
received eternal life from him—might live no longer for themselves, to
please themselves, but to spend their lives pleasing Christ who died and
rose again for them.
So stop evaluating Christians by what the
world thinks about them or by what they seem to be like on the outside.
Once I mistakenly thought of Christ that way, merely as a human being
like myself. How differently I feel now! 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.
As I checked out at the
grocery store the other day, I thought I recognized the man in line
ahead of me. I wasn’t sure, so I didn’t speak to him…but he seemed very
familiar. If I was right, I remember him as a very nice, kind,
Christian man. However, the clerk was visibly rattled as he walked away
– and she said he had been a total grump and had almost been downright
rude to her. I told her that I thought I recognized him…and he
was actually a very nice man who must be having a terribly bad day. She
thanked me for being polite and said I “more made up for” his
unpleasantness…and I did my best to put her back in a good mood.
The
thing is…people are watching…and some have pretty long memories. A lot
of folks will judge us and “peg” us in one way or another based on a
single experience – or prior history. And we do this, too. We are
often astounded to find that the person we could not stand in childhood,
high school or our early adult life is now someone we really like – or
vice versa. We could all probably note someone who experienced something
traumatic or life-changing…and it seemed to be a real turning point in
his/her life…and a personality changer, as well. Surely you have said
of someone, “He/she is not even the same person I used to know!”
Can
people really change? Absolutely! Unfortunately, these changes are
not always positive. But when JESUS transforms someone from the inside
out, the results are generally – and astoundingly – good ones. Some
people change when they claim salvation in Jesus. For others, the shift
often occurs after some life-altering event. Some are changed following
a health scare, the loss of loved ones, or a major blow - like the
loss of a job. Others are changed by the unfair judgment and criticism
of others…or personal neglect. I think of how my mentor, Mrs. Peggy,
developed such a tremendous visitation ministry after her own
mother-in-law was virtually ignored by her church family when she became
ill, and ultimately died.
The point is this…we don’t have to
wait for a life-changing event to become the “new creature in Christ”
that He has called us to be. We can evaluate our lives and make
necessary adjustments today. It doesn’t matter what others think of
us…or what we think of other people. What matters is what Jesus
thinks! The U.S. Army used to have a slogan that said…“Be all that you
can be.” Are you all that you can be for Jesus? Even if you surrendered
your heart to Him decades ago…did you truly change from the inside
out? You can still do this…and there is no better time than TODAY!
Stop
judging others based on past history or outward appearances…and stop
living like the “old you!” Be the new creature that Jesus has
created…and look for this in others, as well. We may still occasionally
have a bad day and show that “old side” to someone else. But with
God’s help, we can transform ourselves more and more each day into the
Disciple He intended us to be. Everything old IS new with Jesus. It’s
time we lived this truth each and every day. How are you doing?
©2016 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label transformation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label transformation. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for April 5, 2013
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| Would you believe this little girl's dress and pants was once a ladies' beaded knit shirt? |
Anyone who belongs to Christ is a new person. The past is forgotten, and everything is new.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
If you know anything about me, you know that I love to take old pieces of clothing and repurpose them into new garments. I cut around holes and stains… I pick out the best parts of the garment… and I make something fresh and new that often barely resembles the previous piece – if at all. You might see a jeans pocket here or be able to discern a t-shirt there. But generally, the former “life” of the garment is totally forgotten. I am somehow able to see beyond a discarded piece of clothing and find the good that still lies there… and to restore it to something clean and up-to-date.
As people who have committed our lives to Christ, we are like repurposed garments. All of the old excuses… our stains, our sins – our past – are exactly that… in the past! God has seen beyond those things that wore us down and made us tired and unlovely. He has cut out the best parts and fashioned them into something totally different – and often unrecognizable. Some of us just needed a little sprucing and updating… others needed a major overhaul. But in the end, we are all new creatures… and Jesus Christ is the King of repurposing!
So the next time you start to make excuses… when you begin to say that God can’t use you or won’t want you because of this or that – your past mistakes or a present flaw in your makeup – remember these repurposed garments. Let Jesus put His creativity and power to work to design a totally new you… one who is fresh, pristine, and beautiful in His glory. If you don’t yet belong to Jesus, this should be reason enough to choose to live for Him. You have the opportunity for a clean slate… a new beginning…a chance to create a completely different life!
Doesn’t this sound exciting? Wouldn’t you like to change your “old garments” for new ones? Do you truly get it that this is possible in Jesus Christ? Isn’t today a great day to change your wardrobe and lose the excuses?
©2013 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for January 10, 2011
Jeremiah 13:23
Can you ever change and do what's right? Can people change the color of their skin, or can a leopard remove its spots? If so, then maybe you can change and learn to do right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A decade ago, I was a sun worshipper. My skin is incredibly pale, and I thought a tan made me look better… younger, healthier, and more fit. In the winter, I would skip the tanning bed and give my skin a rest, and I did not like how it looked… pasty, freckled, and almost ghostly! But over time, I realized that I was not really changing my skin… I was just making it age faster. No matter how much time I spend in a tanning bed – or how much I am able to darken my skin – when I stop the process, my skin will once again be pasty white (albeit with more freckles and “sun/age spots” as a result).
In other words, I didn’t really change my skin color, any more than bleaching my hair changes the fact that my “natural color” is a salt-and-pepper combo of dishwater blonde and snowy white. Once I stop spending time in the tanning bed or out in the sun – or going to a hairdresser and having my hair color adjusted – the original color returns. The change is only on the surface.
Sadly, there are some people who seem to treat their relationship with God like tanning or coloring their hair. The results are short-term, and fairly shallow. Once the “new” wears off, old habits and behaviors resurface. The “change” was not from deep within the heart. Maybe these people thought the change was real… maybe they convinced themselves that they had given their heart to God and were committed to following Him and serving as Christ’s disciple. And maybe nobody explained to them that salvation is not the end – it’s the beginning!
Accepting Jesus is the first step… inviting the Holy Spirit to dwell within your heart is vital… but Jesus’ words were, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” He also told us to “go and make disciples of all nations.” The rewards of a life in Christ are great… but so is the responsibility. And often, our commitment to God involves incredible, profound, permanent change. I’ll be the first to tell you that this is difficult… and there may be periods when we slip and fall and seem to lose our way for a time. But the key is to get back to God as quickly as possible, to admit your shortcomings and earnestly work to correct them.
Maybe we can’t change our ethnicity or the real color of our hair (at least not once and for all), but with work and dedication… faith and trust in God… we can change our heart to line up more closely with His. Are you willing to do what it takes to make the changes that matter? Is today the day you begin?
©2010 Debbie Robus
Can you ever change and do what's right? Can people change the color of their skin, or can a leopard remove its spots? If so, then maybe you can change and learn to do right.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
A decade ago, I was a sun worshipper. My skin is incredibly pale, and I thought a tan made me look better… younger, healthier, and more fit. In the winter, I would skip the tanning bed and give my skin a rest, and I did not like how it looked… pasty, freckled, and almost ghostly! But over time, I realized that I was not really changing my skin… I was just making it age faster. No matter how much time I spend in a tanning bed – or how much I am able to darken my skin – when I stop the process, my skin will once again be pasty white (albeit with more freckles and “sun/age spots” as a result).
In other words, I didn’t really change my skin color, any more than bleaching my hair changes the fact that my “natural color” is a salt-and-pepper combo of dishwater blonde and snowy white. Once I stop spending time in the tanning bed or out in the sun – or going to a hairdresser and having my hair color adjusted – the original color returns. The change is only on the surface.
Sadly, there are some people who seem to treat their relationship with God like tanning or coloring their hair. The results are short-term, and fairly shallow. Once the “new” wears off, old habits and behaviors resurface. The “change” was not from deep within the heart. Maybe these people thought the change was real… maybe they convinced themselves that they had given their heart to God and were committed to following Him and serving as Christ’s disciple. And maybe nobody explained to them that salvation is not the end – it’s the beginning!
Accepting Jesus is the first step… inviting the Holy Spirit to dwell within your heart is vital… but Jesus’ words were, “Take up your cross and follow Me.” He also told us to “go and make disciples of all nations.” The rewards of a life in Christ are great… but so is the responsibility. And often, our commitment to God involves incredible, profound, permanent change. I’ll be the first to tell you that this is difficult… and there may be periods when we slip and fall and seem to lose our way for a time. But the key is to get back to God as quickly as possible, to admit your shortcomings and earnestly work to correct them.
Maybe we can’t change our ethnicity or the real color of our hair (at least not once and for all), but with work and dedication… faith and trust in God… we can change our heart to line up more closely with His. Are you willing to do what it takes to make the changes that matter? Is today the day you begin?
©2010 Debbie Robus
Daily Devotional for July 20, 2010
Romans 15:7
[The Good News Is for Jews and Gentiles] Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever gone into a store that sold expensive things… clothes, home décor, furniture, or even jewelry… and you felt others looking at you because you were under-dressed? I have told you before about seeing dirty, disheveled people in the store and momentarily judging them to be something (or someone) they were not… and then recognizing them as a friend who had been working in the yard and got grungy.
Or maybe you know someone who recently became a Christian, and you remember when they lived a sinful… even wild… lifestyle. Maybe you find it hard to shake this image of the person and see them as a holy Christian, anointed and blessed by God. Maybe you look at this person and wonder, “Who does he/she think she is?”
Let’s be honest… we are all that dirty, disheveled, sinful person… even if we “clean up well.” What God did for us… and continues to do for us… He does for every single one of His children, as much as they will allow. We need to learn to be more accepting of one another… and we must pray that others do the same. We must ask God to provide care and nurture for His children in all situations… kind store clerks… gentle, caring medical and emergency personnel… loving teachers and bosses, husbands, wives, mothers and fathers… fair judges and lawmakers… attentive friends and co-workers… Spirit-filled ministers and Christian believers who share Christ’s love with others… and much more.
What about you? Do you accept others as Christ has accepted you? Or do you have criteria that others must meet… a checklist of sorts for deciding whether or not you will show kindness and mercy to those you encounter? Read Romans 15:7 again…it starts off “The good News is for Jews and Gentiles.” In other words, Christ died on the cross for all of us… not just a certain few. If we are to be His followers, we must be accepting of everyone. How accepting of others have you been lately?
©2010 Debbie Robus
[The Good News Is for Jews and Gentiles] Honor God by accepting each other, as Christ has accepted you.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever gone into a store that sold expensive things… clothes, home décor, furniture, or even jewelry… and you felt others looking at you because you were under-dressed? I have told you before about seeing dirty, disheveled people in the store and momentarily judging them to be something (or someone) they were not… and then recognizing them as a friend who had been working in the yard and got grungy.
Or maybe you know someone who recently became a Christian, and you remember when they lived a sinful… even wild… lifestyle. Maybe you find it hard to shake this image of the person and see them as a holy Christian, anointed and blessed by God. Maybe you look at this person and wonder, “Who does he/she think she is?”
Let’s be honest… we are all that dirty, disheveled, sinful person… even if we “clean up well.” What God did for us… and continues to do for us… He does for every single one of His children, as much as they will allow. We need to learn to be more accepting of one another… and we must pray that others do the same. We must ask God to provide care and nurture for His children in all situations… kind store clerks… gentle, caring medical and emergency personnel… loving teachers and bosses, husbands, wives, mothers and fathers… fair judges and lawmakers… attentive friends and co-workers… Spirit-filled ministers and Christian believers who share Christ’s love with others… and much more.
What about you? Do you accept others as Christ has accepted you? Or do you have criteria that others must meet… a checklist of sorts for deciding whether or not you will show kindness and mercy to those you encounter? Read Romans 15:7 again…it starts off “The good News is for Jews and Gentiles.” In other words, Christ died on the cross for all of us… not just a certain few. If we are to be His followers, we must be accepting of everyone. How accepting of others have you been lately?
©2010 Debbie Robus
Romans 6:4
When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I wash Timothy’s hair in the bath tub, I scoop up water in a plastic dish pan and pour it over his head to rinse his hair. He loves this… it’s a game to him. The water washes his soapy hair squeaky clean, and he is changed by it.
Some people feel an almost “magical” transformation when they become a Christian – or when they are baptized. Others don’t feel anything drastic at first… their changes are more gradual, but no less significant.
As we grow in our faith and service to God, we do change. We find that the things we once considered “fun” or acceptable are no longer interesting… and may even be offensive. We find that our focus and our priorities change… usually from ourselves to the love and service of others. We think more about how we can worship God and serve Him than what we are going to do… today, tomorrow, next day - or next year.
Recently I had some sort of cold “bug.” The first few days, I didn’t feel so well. I had no appetite… I was tired all day… and very little interested me. As I began to feel better, I was able to do more without resting. I even began to get hungry again! And as my energy returned, I had more enthusiasm for all sorts of things. Sometimes it’s like that with our Christian life. Some of us were sick in sin for a long time…healing and recovery may take a while! But it will happen – if we stay focused on Jesus.
We do have the opportunity to become a new creature in Christ. Our past is behind us, and we have been given new life… a second chance. Let’s not waste it. Let’s be the people God called us to be and honor Him with everything we’ve got. Let the healing begin… here and now… for each of us! And may we all be “well” soon!
©2010 Debbie Robus
When we were baptized, we died and were buried with Christ. We were baptized, so that we would live a new life, as Christ was raised to life by the glory of God the Father.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I wash Timothy’s hair in the bath tub, I scoop up water in a plastic dish pan and pour it over his head to rinse his hair. He loves this… it’s a game to him. The water washes his soapy hair squeaky clean, and he is changed by it.
Some people feel an almost “magical” transformation when they become a Christian – or when they are baptized. Others don’t feel anything drastic at first… their changes are more gradual, but no less significant.
As we grow in our faith and service to God, we do change. We find that the things we once considered “fun” or acceptable are no longer interesting… and may even be offensive. We find that our focus and our priorities change… usually from ourselves to the love and service of others. We think more about how we can worship God and serve Him than what we are going to do… today, tomorrow, next day - or next year.
Recently I had some sort of cold “bug.” The first few days, I didn’t feel so well. I had no appetite… I was tired all day… and very little interested me. As I began to feel better, I was able to do more without resting. I even began to get hungry again! And as my energy returned, I had more enthusiasm for all sorts of things. Sometimes it’s like that with our Christian life. Some of us were sick in sin for a long time…healing and recovery may take a while! But it will happen – if we stay focused on Jesus.
We do have the opportunity to become a new creature in Christ. Our past is behind us, and we have been given new life… a second chance. Let’s not waste it. Let’s be the people God called us to be and honor Him with everything we’ve got. Let the healing begin… here and now… for each of us! And may we all be “well” soon!
©2010 Debbie Robus
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