Hey Guys! Welcome to Maranatha Blogs where we explore the heart of God for us. Maranatha blogs was created with the intent of being a safe place to be reminded of our purpose with Christ as we await his return. I use my practical everyday life experiences to bring across the heart of God in a relatable way. So hey, I’m Maranatha… it’s actually my middle name but as I write to you today I hope you kick your feet back as though you’re interacting with a long lost friend over some coffee.
Hope everyone’s well! Today I’d like us to examine 2 Corinthians 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he’s a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
This Blog is for anyone struggling in their transformational process in Christ. You’ve heard about God, you believe in the gospel, you believe that Jesus Christ died for our sins, you’re completely sold but the transformation process is giving you a pretty hard time and you feel like you’re failing or ready to give up. Honestly this is all of us at different points. If you’re now hearing about Jesus Christ, please stay and continue reading, there’s something here to benefit as well.
When you accept Jesus in your life he wants to make you new with his identity. He thought of us before the foundation of the earth and attached a Christ given purpose for our lives. He intended us to have an identity rooted in Christ. Before coming to Christ our lives more often than not does not resemble the blueprint that he aforethought for us. Our lives may look like a turmoil of sin, labeled identities that do not define us or filled with darkness. As soon as we walk towards the acceptance of Christ our sins are blotted out and he starts a process of refining us into his divine image. As beautiful as this refining sounds it can get pretty messy and more often than not it feels like we are moving backwards instead of forward. But I’d like to let you know that when Jesus starts ripping up the floor boards of our hearts and exposing all the hidden mess we are in a perfect place!
So a day ago I decided to deep clean my room. Not the regular everyday maintenance. The get on your knees, under the bed, into the creases and corner type of deep clean. At one point I started sorting books to throw out old exam papers that I no longer have need for. To my surprise I came across old poetry I had written in my younger years and boy did I cringe. It’s like I had a paper trail for the past years in poems. At one point I stood in the middle of my room in otter dismay at the mess I had made. I even started questioning why I’d decided to create this mess. Papers were in a pile, I’d started pushing and pulling around furniture. Everything was out of place. At points I did not know how to continue. I managed to push pass the confusion and eventually the old papers were thrown away, the windows had a new sparkle, the furniture were in different places. The place looked beautiful. Same room, same furniture, just rearranged and sorted.
God looks down at our lives and desires to sort it out in the same way. When he starts ripping up the floor boards of our hearts as we accept him it’s to rearrange us to our new identity in him. Same body, with a renewed mind, renewed spirit and renewed desires. He wants you to walk with a new sparkle. Don’t give up on God when the mess appears. The mess is not an identification of the absence of God, it is actually an indication that he is very much present. The mess is not an opportunity to shrink back in shame, guilt or confusion, it is actually an opportunity to embrace a patient, kind and long suffering tutor who is our father in heaven. The mess is not a sign that you’re unworthy of a loving father, it’s a sign that he loves you despite of! Can we walk in that freedom? God will never dump all our stuff on us all at once, he gracefully takes us through the process of renewing. You will not be perfect in a day, a year or even five years from now but the longer you stay awake with the renewing of the father the closer you will come towards the intent of the blue print he admonished for your life. A heart surrendered to God is a heart that comes closer to the mark with each new day.
God has a plan for everyone’s life (Jeremiah 29:11). Aside from our unique paths here is what God thinks of you and your identity in him you become new; (Excerpt below: Radiant by Priscilla Shirer). You are Chosen (Ephesians 1:4) You are Forgiven (Ephesians 1:7) You are Accepted ( Ephesians 1:6) You have an eternal Inheritance (Ephesians 1:11) You have the Power of Christ in you (Ephesians 1:19) You have Full Access to God. (Ephesians 2:13) You are his Dwelling Place (Ephesians 2:22)
Thank you for coming to Maranatha Blog today. God Bless! IG: Maranatha.blog23
Maranatha 