The Journey

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation;
old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.”
2 Corinthians 5:17, NKJV

A friend of mine recently went through hip replacement surgery. I remember my surprise at hearing the news because he is relatively young and in good shape. However, the joint had worn to the point where he had begun to walk with a visible limp, and over the past few months, even started to use a crutch. He went through the surgery and, thanks to the skill of a modern-day surgeon, was quickly up and around on his new hip. Yet, for weeks after the surgery, even a month or two, his limp remained the same. Then, to my surprise, I ran into my friend the other day and his limp was suddenly gone. Where did it go? That limp was there a few weeks before.

“You’re walking great,” I said. “What happened?”

His response to me was priceless! “My physical therapist told me that I had to retrain my brain.” His brain had been trained to expect pain with every step, so it told him to limp in anticipation. Even if he didn’t feel the pain right away his brain said it’s coming.

“I have to retrain my brain,” he said. Those words struck me with tremendous force for Paul, in 2 Corinthians 5:7, gives to us those same words: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, behold, all things have become new.” We have to retrain our brains to believe and ACCEPT that each of us is a new creation. We have to accept that we are a child of God.

Christ has already done the restoration work in your spirit. Just as my friend had a new hip, Christ has given you a new life. The old one is gone, along with any horrific thing you have done, thought, or said. Behold, you are a new creation today! Retrain your brain to accept the forgiveness and restorative work that Christ has done in your spiritual life! Join hands with Christ for the work of accepting what He has done in you so that you may become what he is calling you become.

Retrain your brain! It’s time to stop limping through life and start walking! Start seeing yourself as a child of God… forgiven, renewed, and restored… once you accept that, the newness starts to live through you.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the priceless work of restoration that You have done in my life! Retrain my brain to accept that I am a new creation. That old things in my life have passed away, and behold all things have become new! Thank You, Father for bringing that newness into my daily thinking and living. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Grace and Peace
Steve

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