Word from The WORD: Is it NEW?

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Is it NEW?

A good day starts with a good shave! And a good shave needs a good brush!! But I was shaving with an old brush for a very long time. I was not willing to let go of my brush because of my Indian mentality (I guess??) of using (or rather abusing) any product to the maximum and calling it “Optimum Utilization of Resources”!!

But my wife’s bugging, of lately made sense to me and I decided to throw off my old brush, reluctantly though.

My old brush :)

Old shaving brush

This post is not on ‘How to shave without hurting your skin?’ or ‘Which is the best shaving brush or shaving cream?’ But this post is on the wonderful lessons that I learnt this morning as I used the newly bought shaving brush.

New shaving brush I applied the shaving cream on my face and took the new brush to lather the cream. Just with the few strokes the cream lathered and kept foaming and only then I realized that I had applied more cream. But I realized that the amount of cream was the same that I used everyday. Then why there was so much of foam? It struck me! Neither did the new brush require more cream nor much effort. Because it was new, less cream and less effort was sufficient. I also realized that the brush was very smooth and that it did not hurt my skin too.

Even as I washed the cream off the brush, my mind was awash with thoughts. Since the brush was new, it required less resource, less energy and also gave smoother shave. And I connected this with my life and started comprehending in the line of this truth.

Old Vs New When I lose the newness in me there is a chance that I need lot of effort and energy to do a work. And because I am old and worn out, I can also hurt myself and others through my words and actions. I started to introspect. So for us to lose the newness, newness has to be there in the first place! When we were born we were new born babies. And even as we grow older slowly oldness creeps into our life.

And we need to put off this oldness from us – “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24 (ESV)

But how do we put off the oldness and put on the newness?

The Bible says, “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 (ESV)

When anyone comes to Christ he becomes a NEW CREATION! That is like being born once again!

Jesus said: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

When we are not born again the oldness from the flesh exhibits itself.

I am at war “For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.” Galatians 5:17 (ESV)

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Galatians 5:19-21 (ESV)

But when some one is born again by believing in Jesus, the Spirit rules His life and the Spirit’s characters are exhibited.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22-23 (ESV)

Are you crying within because of the works of the flesh?

“For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.” Romans 7:18-20 (ESV)

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” Romans 7:24 (ESV)

Is your life new? Do you feel the freshness and the newness? The newness within your heart and mind. If not just introspect what can take away the newness from within you?

Commit your life to Jesus Christ to be renewed, TODAY and everyday! Live & Lead ANEW!

New Creation