“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
Have you ever thought about what you would do if you had the opportunity to start all over again? What mistakes would you correct? What decisions would you reverse? Which opportunities would you face with a different perspective?
Often we think about questions such as these as we look back at the year that’s passed by, thinking about things we’ve said, things we’ve done, things we’ve failed to do. Sometimes we’re filled with uncertainty… guilt… worry… doubt. Sometimes we’re burdened with our own sins and we need to make things right with our heavenly Father.
No matter who we are, no matter what we have done, we have this wonderful promise from God’s word: we can all be a new creation. Not even partially new, but completely new! No matter what we’ve done or how many mistakes we’ve made, no matter how many disappointments we’ve had or challenges we’re facing, all “old things have passed away.” With Christ, everything becomes new.
Although you may be filled with uncertainty, although you may be filled with fear and have seemingly insurmountable obstacles in your life, you can still have your slate wiped clean. As we leave 2009 behind us, we can also leave our troubles and our burdens behind us at the foot of the cross. We can start over again, new in Christ.
No matter how long we have been “Christians,” we still need to let the “old things” in our lives pass away. God will take away our anxieties, our fears… He will forgive us of all that we’ve done wrong. He wants to separate us from our mistakes “as far as the East is from the West.” Psalm 103:12
As we journey into this new year, allow the old things to pass away. God knows today, tomorrow, this year, next year, and into eternity. Let Him make you a new creation!
