Were: Regenerated — Monday
2 Corinthians 5:17
This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! (NLT)
Now that we’re entering into the winter season here in the Bluegrass, I often find myself reflecting on the fun of summer. Due to my wife being in her third trimester this past summer, the only trip I got to take was with Southland Students for Beach Week. This is our annual trip where we take all of our students from all five Southland campuses to the beach for a week of worship, community, and fun. It was pretty neat that we got to take students to the beach who had never been before. Seeing their faces light up with huge smiles when they saw the Atlantic for the first time was a pretty special moment. However, seeing their faces after leaving a day at the beach was truly priceless. I remember hearing as these students were walking off of the beach, “It’s so hot. My feet are burning. The sand is painful. Why do you even like the beach?”
We all know what it can feel like to come off the beach after a day of baking in the sun. The serenity of listening to the waves is swiftly interrupted by the classic line, “Let’s get all of this stuff packed up.” Leaving the beach, I often feel exhausted and worn out. I never enjoy lugging off the beach all the junk we thought we needed for a fun beach day. I’m typically roasted because the sunscreen I brought is expired and I refuse to waste my time putting it on, and I also typically have sand in places where sand ought not to be. The beach is great (kind of), but leaving the beach is the worst.
Leaving the beach can be uncomfortable. It can take some time to heal (sunburns are no fun). Leaving our old lives behind to follow Jesus can be a similar process to leaving the beach. It can require leaving all the junk we think we need behind. It can take years to heal from the damage that sin has done. It can be extremely uncomfortable to say “no” to things we once said “yes” to and vice versa. It can be extremely hard for us to leave the comfort of the beach.
Monday’s Reflection
Have you ever seen the smile of someone who has experienced God’s grace for the first time? It’s so incredibly bright and radiant because it shines from deep within their soul. Are you living in this new life that Jesus offers us? If so, who can you be praying for to experience this same love, joy, and freedom that Jesus has so graciously given you?