Good Morning All,
2 Corinthians 5:17; “Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation.
The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
“Two
roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both.” This is the beginning of Robert Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken”. The poem is about making a choice. The author comes to a spot in the path he is
journeying on and the path forks and he must decide which one to take. He realizes that he will never come back to
this spot and then travel the second option so the choice must be made. He makes his choice, the one less traveled,
and he revels in it. This poem can lead
to countless philosophical debates with esoteric insights. It can lead to an understanding of life or it
can just be a poem. Yet it implies that
in life, we make choices and that we must live with those choices.
As Christians, we get to make
choices. Since we are now a new creation
in Christ, we should put the old away.
Yet how often do we cling to the old and avoid the new? I think of this now as the intense holiday
season is upon us. We did some of our
Thanksgiving Day grocery shopping today and it was a madhouse. I read on Facebook where one person posted on
another’s that they were glad they got out of a certain grocery store in one
piece. It is going to get hectic. I have started to pencil in the known calendar
events. I have three days with three
scheduled events and the list will grow. Some things will happen and some
things will be missed. It is not that I
am complaining or lamenting because your schedule probably is just as bad.
Now you get to make a choice. Do you face the coming hubbub in the old way
or as a new creation? We get a choice;
the unbeliever is stuck in the old way but Christ frees us from the old way
into the new creation. So, we can face
it in the old way; grouchy about the lines, grouchy about the service,
grumbling about the selection, availability and price of a certain item; we can
do that or we can choose to live in a fashion that celebrates God’s love for
us. The lines are a pain but they are
temporary. The rush is there but only
for a while and only if we let it take precedence over what is real, over what
is important. We know the truth; Jesus’
death and resurrection gives us the victory over death and thus we have life
eternal. What a joy to have this knowledge safely and securely in our hearts
and in our minds.
So, I encourage you to make that choice and
choose the road that is less traveled, the road that is narrow. Treat others with respect and live the life
of joyful contentment that God gives to us as his beloved children. Nothing, absolutely nothing; not long lines,
not grouchy shoppers or empty shelves or slippery roads or uncooperative
relatives; nothing can separate you from the love of God in Jesus. God blesses us each and every day; rejoice in
his love and actively choose to share that love with those you meet and
interact with today. You are a new
creation; enjoy it!!
Father, you have made me new again. Strengthen me so that I may be a reflection
of your love in this world. Guide me to
show your love and mercy to all I meet but especially to those who are
suffering or lost. Make me your beacon
so that others may know of your love for them.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen.
God’s
Peace,
Pastor
Bret
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