Staring into the mirror, I barely recognized myself. I had just had a baby a few days earlier, and I was no longer pregnant. But having been pregnant for so long, I still identified myself as such. It was hard to suddenly identify as non-pregnant, especially when my non-maternity clothes didn’t feel as if they fit me well.
When I committed my life to Christ, it was hard to not identify myself as I had previously. It was hard to relinquish those questionable actions of thoughts I once had as part of my identity. Yet, that is exactly what God promises: we are no longer as we once were. And, we no longer need to identify as our former selves.
Just like I’d had to work on my spiritual health after I had committed my life to Christ, each one of us, no matter how much we try to follow God’s commands and Christ’s instructions, fall short on occasion. The point isn’t perfection. The goal is that our hearts are truly attempting to obey Him, search after Him, and are convicted when we realize we misstepped.
There’s a promise found in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away. Yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.” (NIV) We do not need to get down on ourselves for failing. We confess it to God, and thank Him for growing us, realizing that failure, and accepting His forgiveness. We can thank Him that this time, we felt His Holy Spirit’s conviction and truly understood the mistake.
We can trust He sees us as His new creation, as stated in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, and the new is here!” (NIV)
That new creation entails Christ’s sacrifice covering over our sins. Even though we make mistakes, we are forgiven. We do not need to continue beating ourselves up over the past. We do not need to listen as the enemy proclaims our past mistakes. Our soul’s retort: Christ has made us new!
Just like extra pregnancy weight, the understanding of who we are in Christ and the casting off of that former self image may take some time. But we must feast on a healthy diet of Scripture declaring who we are to God, and exercise those spiritual muscles, working out those Fruit of the Spirit located in Galatians 5:22-23. Sometimes it takes a bit to recognize who we are after we have experienced some transformations. Yet, we can’t lose sight of who God sees us as! We are His, and thanks to Christ, we are indeed a new creation in Him!
Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank you for making all things new, including me! Please help me to do the spiritual work, treasure time with You and in Your word. Please convict me to turn to You, and listen only to You, not the enemy, who wants to drag me back to my former self. You promise I am a new creation. Thank You for finishing the work You have started in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.