For many of us, Spring is coming ... and, with it, new life.
So often, we just love new. Guess what? Our God is in the business of “newness” too:
“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:19).
He is the God of making us new, ultimately through His Son. Our need for other “newness” in our life can be healthy, too. Sometimes, we need new habits, new attitudes, new motivation, or new ideas.
So, as this new season of spring (or Autumn for those in the Southern Hemisphere) begins, here are three new things that we can (and probably should) start doing.
1. Think new
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things” (Philippians 4:8).
Our thoughts can be anything but those qualities listed above, and this is something old that needs to be replaced. That jealousy you’re holding onto? It’s just not admirable, so let’s do something new and let it go. That anger that keeps festering? That’s not lovely, so let’s do something new and choose to not hold onto it anymore.
If you’re choosing to let things go, though, you’re going to have empty space. What is something new that you can fill this space with?
2. Fill your life with all the good stuff
“But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23a).
When you are striving to let go of the old ways, you need to hold on to something else: hold on to the desire to do all that you do to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Striving to produce the good qualities - the fruit of the Spirit - is something that would definitely honor God.
When you are choosing to strive to honor God, choose to do something new with your actions. Here's an example for those struggling with jealousy:
When that jealousy is flaring, let go, choose to honor God, and remember that God wants you to love.
Next, seek out ways that you can do this instead of holding on to your jealousy.
Maybe you have a personal relationship with this person that makes you jealous. Why not pray for them and pray that their life gets even better?
If you don’t have a personal relationship with that person, why not think of someone else who you know may feel unloved and not valued; you can send them a text to let them know that you’re thinking of them.
This can get your mind off your jealousy and on to helping someone who has probably been at that same jealous place, too. You’d be surprised at the attitude change that brings and at the difference it can make in someone’s life.
And so, we replace our old negative habits with new loving ones!
3. Remember others
“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11a).
It is all too easy to get self-focused. This old habit just has got to go as we remember that God put us on the planet with other human beings. We need to remember that we have a responsibility as Christians to think of others first.
When we are tempted to obsessively focus on our lives and on building up ourselves to be the best of anyone, we must remember that we are called to encourage one another.
Instead of obsessing over what a certain person thinks of you, why not turn to the people around you and engage with them, seeking to encourage them.
Just as we need to be reminded that we are valuable and can make a difference, the people around us need these reminders, too.
All of us would be better off to remember that, in the end, we have Jesus, and this is what counts. This new season, let us be a people who start doing a new thing and start encouraging others towards good works, building them up when they are feeling week, and reminding them of Jesus. And remember, God is the God of newness. He can give you strength to start new things in your life, too!
