It’s Spring time again! I say those words with mixed emotions as I sneeze, cough and try to catch my breath. I absolutely love the beauty of Spring and the warmer temperatures but the pollen count is killing me. I’ll never forget years ago a neighbor that moved here from the North actually stopped me in my yard to ask me about all of the yellow stuff in the air. He had no idea! If you’ve never visited Georgia in the Spring, imagine looking at everything through yellow tinted sunglasses and everything having a yellow film on it. Thankfully it only last a few weeks! Once we get relief in the air we can enjoy the beauty that came from the pollen for months.
We have a tree in our front yard that makes me contemplate what we teach in our ministry every single week. We believe that when you trust Christ as your Savior that you become a new creation. A brand new condition has come about and the old condition of being “In Adam” and left to our own resources to live life has died. (Romans 6) As we grow in our new life, God our Father is teaching us how to let go of those old “ways” that are in our memory banks, to trust our Father and to allow HIM to convince us that we truly are a new creation. We honestly don’t HAVE to look at life the way we use to look at life. We honestly don’t HAVE to react to life but can now respond to circumstances. The problem with walking in our true identity usually comes because our emotions tend to believe the lies of the enemy who constantly whispers in our ears, “You are NOT new! Keep doing things YOUR old way! You CAN’T trust God!” So our new life begins with a struggle. Much like the caterpillar that is assertively wiggling it’s way out of the cocoon to spread his wings and fly! Will I trust God? Will I let go of my old way of thinking and believe what God’s word says about me and life?
Some of us let go of certain “flesh patterns” easily and other’s hang on for dear life. It reminds me of my son who stood by the washing machine and dryer crying until his blanket was back in his arms. We can hold on to our flesh patterns with an endearment because we are comfortable in those flesh patterns. But the bible says, “Those who walk after the flesh will die and cannot please God.” (Romans 8) So false COMFORT is not what all it is cracked up to be! There’s a new and better comfort for us right around the corner if we will “let go” of those old ways and embrace our true identity and our new heart and our new desires.
Now back to this tree in my yard that makes me contemplate truth every year… The picture below proves my point. There is one tree in my yard that does not lose it’s leaves in the fall. That tree hangs on to those old, dead, ugly leaves with every ounce of strength. This tree only lets go as new life pushes the old leaf off of the branch. As we walk out of our new life and as we believe what God says about us (regardless, of how we think, act or feel) we will begin to see those old flesh patterns fall by the way side. The old leaves represent independence from God, doing things your way, fear, impatience, anxiety, arrogance, pride etc. The new leaves represent walking after the Spirit, freedom, liberty, peace and having complete dependence on God. Listen to what even Jesus said, ” I tell you the truth, the Son can do nothing by himself. He does only what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.” John 5:19
So take a risk and trust God. Ask Him to open your eyes to what you are holding onto and release your grip. New life is right around the corner and I promise you are going to like it.
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