Be Made New

1 Peter 5:6-7 (VOICE) So bow down under God’s strong hand; then when the time comes, God will lift you up. Since God cares for you, let Him carry all your burdens and worries.

If you are feeling worn down by guilt, shame, bitterness or resentment, take the time to evaluate your life and ask yourself, how is it working? How is it working for you to carry all of the burdens of your past, hanging onto feelings of anger and hate? Is doing life your own way working out to your benefit? Or do you feel so overwhelmed that you know something has to change?

When you get to that breaking point of "this is enough," (or hopefully sooner than that) take time to pray and ask God to help you. Allow Him to have room in your life. It's hard to surrender everything to Him at once, but you must start somewhere. Most of us have a few areas that we still feel the need to control, it could be raising kids, finances, career… but once you truly give it all over to your Creator, you will feel the weight of all those burdens lift. It will grant you the strength you need to continue in this race of life and the peace of knowing He is in control and has your absolute best interest in mind.

Refocus your mind on the things that are truly important, not on the things that bring you down. Spend time reflecting on your blessings in life each day. This will put your heart in a posture of joy rather than bitterness. Shed the weight of regret and allow the love of Christ to overwhelm you! Ask Him to make you whole again. For it is better to be made whole and new than learning how to "cope" with pain and circumstances. God wants to be everything to you, will you allow Him in those broken areas today?

Hebrews 12:1-2 (VOICE) Let us drop every extra weight, every sin that clings to us and slackens our pace, and let us run with endurance the long race set before us. Now stay focused on Jesus, who designed and perfected our faith. He endured the cross and ignored the shame of that death because He focused on the joy that was set before Him; and now He is seated beside God on the throne, a place of honor.