Were: Regenerated — Wednesday
Lamentations 3:23
Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. (NLT)
The Greek word Christianos literally translates as “little Christ.” As Christians, our purpose for living is to bring glory to God. This weekend, we learned as a church what baptism is, why we do it, and why it is an integral part of our faith journey. Baptism is the burying of our old lives in the waters and being raised to new life in Christ. It symbolizes the stopping of our old life. If this is the case, then we must be truly transformed from the inside out. Dallas Willard has this to say:
“How many people are radically and permanently repelled from The Way by Christians who are unfeeling, stiff, unapproachable, boringly lifeless, obsessive, and dissatisfied? Yet such Christians are everywhere, and what they are missing is the wholesome liveliness springing from a balanced vitality with the freedom of God’s loving rule… Spirituality wrongly understood or pursued is a major source of human misery and rebellion against God.”
I will never be perfect at this, but I never want to lose the hope and joy that I had when I came out of the waters of baptism. Like a new toy, the excitement we once had can quickly fade. We can fall quickly into old patterns, old behaviors, old attitudes. We lose our way when we don’t pursue a daily relationship with the God we claim to love.
We live in a world filled with lament that desperately needs the hope, grace, and love of Jesus. Out of a deep relationship with Jesus, we can maintain the same hope and joy we have the moment we decide to follow Him. We will be transformed over time into “little Christs” that profoundly impact the world around us for the Kingdom.
Wednesday’s Reflection
Eternal hope and unending joy are winsome in a world of lament. Spend some time with Your Father today in prayer asking Him to restore your hope and renew your joy. Ask God to give you opportunities today to share that hope and joy with someone in need of a “joy bomb.”