By Lance Cordle
Can you hear it? It is the sound of birds chirping. Can you see it? The daylight last longer. Can you feel it? The days are warmer. After an unusual year, where the temperatures have been slow to rise and we have experienced snow and sleet in April, spring has finally arrived!
Spring is God’s season of renewal. The flowers bloom and the grass becomes green. The earth and the animals seem to come back to life! Many people enjoy springtime greatly because of the feelings of rejuvenation and encouragement that comes from seeing and experiencing the renewal of nature.
God also knows the value of the renewal of a person. The new birth is necessary because God wants men and women who are new in purpose and spiritual life (John 3:3, 5). Just as people rejoice over the birth of a baby and watch with anticipation as they grow, angels and God rejoice at the birth of a Christian (Luke 15:7, 32).
The life of a Christ-follower is a new life! The person who comes forth from the “grave” of baptism has a new life to live (Romans 6:4). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV). The possibilities are fresh and ready to be pursued!
God’s emphasis on renewal is even clearer when one considers Paul’s challenge in Romans 12:2a: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” As is the case of springtime, spiritual surroundings bring about a renewal of thinking. In springtime, people put on lighter and brighter clothing, walk in the sunshine and consume foods that are associated with warmer and brighter. Renewal in our minds transforms us into people who are godly and holy. We should not shrink away from those two description anymore than we would avoid the labels of spring-time person or summer-time person.
Everybody needs renewal. The need for renewal is what God has put behind our longing for rest and sleep at night. Just as sleep brings forth reinvigoration and rejuvenation, spiritual renewal transforms us. Take some time to renew your mind: 1) Read and delight in God’s word ( Psalm 1:1-3); 2) Fix your focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3); continue to walk in the light (1 John 1 :7). God will bless you and you will be renewed and refreshed.
Can you hear it? It is the sound of birds chirping. Can you see it? The daylight last longer. Can you feel it? The days are warmer. After an unusual year, where the temperatures have been slow to rise and we have experienced snow and sleet in April, spring has finally arrived!
Spring is God’s season of renewal. The flowers bloom and the grass becomes green. The earth and the animals seem to come back to life! Many people enjoy springtime greatly because of the feelings of rejuvenation and encouragement that comes from seeing and experiencing the renewal of nature.
God also knows the value of the renewal of a person. The new birth is necessary because God wants men and women who are new in purpose and spiritual life (John 3:3, 5). Just as people rejoice over the birth of a baby and watch with anticipation as they grow, angels and God rejoice at the birth of a Christian (Luke 15:7, 32).
The life of a Christ-follower is a new life! The person who comes forth from the “grave” of baptism has a new life to live (Romans 6:4). “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17, ESV). The possibilities are fresh and ready to be pursued!
God’s emphasis on renewal is even clearer when one considers Paul’s challenge in Romans 12:2a: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” As is the case of springtime, spiritual surroundings bring about a renewal of thinking. In springtime, people put on lighter and brighter clothing, walk in the sunshine and consume foods that are associated with warmer and brighter. Renewal in our minds transforms us into people who are godly and holy. We should not shrink away from those two description anymore than we would avoid the labels of spring-time person or summer-time person.
Everybody needs renewal. The need for renewal is what God has put behind our longing for rest and sleep at night. Just as sleep brings forth reinvigoration and rejuvenation, spiritual renewal transforms us. Take some time to renew your mind: 1) Read and delight in God’s word ( Psalm 1:1-3); 2) Fix your focus on Jesus (Hebrews 12:1-3); continue to walk in the light (1 John 1 :7). God will bless you and you will be renewed and refreshed.
- Lance Cordle preaches the Calvert City Church of Christ in Calvert
City, KY. He may be contacted through the congregation's
website: http://www.calvertchurchofchrist.com
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