Making all things new

2 Corinthians 5:17 – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

After living so long in the daily grind of the Christian life, sometimes things seem to stop being new. Never is the knowledge that we are new creation, no longer a vessel enslaved to sin, lost but the luster of the new vessel seems to fade as it gets worn down by life’s hardships.

And today I stand amazed at God’s infinite goodness, because He is able to take that tarnished vessel and make it shine again. What I think is so neat in all of this is that God’s plan is so much higher and greater than our own. As a human, I tend to see my purpose in life with narrow vision. I get tripped up by setting my own boundaries in what God wants me to do and when. God, however, is outside all of those expectations.

Here I am, living a happy, middle class American life. I have a terrific home, a great family and a godly support system like none other. I believe in the power of Jesus’ death and resurrection over sin in our lives, I believe God has created each of us for a purpose, and I believe He takes all things – including the most difficult ones – and works them to our good.

I know a lot of people who would say the very same thing. Yet I constantly encounter those who seem to think that the purpose God has for you in one season of life must remain the same for every season of life. It may not be said in so many words, but the resistance to change and the Lord’s leading (especially when it’s uncomfortable) is unmistakable.

I believe that God is able to work greater things in our lives than simply having a single-minded purpose. I praise the God who is able to take a life devoted to him and continually make it new. Whether it’s renewed devotion to Him or a new direction in life, He is the orchestrator.

The Redeemer by Sanctus Real speaks this message to my heart. I heard it for the first time on the radio this morning and was blessed. Here’s to accepting the change the Lord brings to life and trusting Him when He makes all things new.