Volkswagen vans are an icon of the 1960s, When I see them on the road today, they are generally full of rust and barely running. They look run down, and ready to retire. Once in awhile, I see one that has been completely restored. Sometimes, they receive a resurrection. Sometimes, they are given new life. We are all offered that same kind of ressurection, if we are willing.
I walked through life feeling normal. I carried wounds from an icky neighbor and other. I carried rage. I carried fear. I carried a low self-worth. Then came resurrection.
Resurrection to the Christian is when Christ rises from the dead. It is a vivid reminder of the love God has for each of us.
22-25 Now that you’ve cleaned up your lives by following the truth, love one another as if your lives depended on it. Your new life is not like your old life. Your old birth came from mortal sperm; your new birth comes from God’s living Word. Just think: a life conceived by God himself! That’s why the prophet said,
The old life is a grass life,
its beauty as short-lived as wildflowers;
Grass dries up, flowers droop,
God’s Word goes on and on forever.
This is the Word that conceived the new life in you. (1 Peter 1:22-25 MSG).
What God did in my life was a resurrection. God reached into my life and changed me from the inside out. He took the rage, the fear, the low self-worth and replaced it with love and compassion. He took what was dead within and gave me new life.
God continues to give new life to His children. He changes us from within. He shows us, personally, love, compassion and grace. He reaches into our everyday lives and makes us new.
Sometimes the restoration is swift, and sometimes it is gradual. When I said yes to God, I didn’t know this was possible. It took years for the fullness of resurrection to enter my life, and I wouldn’t change any of it. I wouldn’t change what I have learned, or who I have become.
Are you ready to have God reach in and breathe new life into you? Are you willing to trust in His resurrection power? Are you ready to experience love and grace in a profound way? Say, yes.
How have you experienced resurrection? Share your experience here and breathe life and bring hope to others.