I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:6 (NIV)
The name of my blog is Life Happens. Many joyful and positive things happen in our life. I’m writing this blog as I contemplate the upcoming nuptials of my niece, Noelle. Marriage is one of the first things that comes to our mind when we think of new beginnings.
The nuptials begin with much excitement. They have finally met the one God provided for them! The preparation…the parties…the family/friends! As beautiful & momentous as a wedding can be, real life will begin rather quickly. That’s when we remember this is God’s union.
So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.
Matthew 19:6 (NIV)
With the marriage solidified, the next new beginning is children. What a perfect illustration of a couple’s love for each other! A child is so precious and totally dependent on their parents for everything. It becomes hard to imagine what life was like before them.
God asks us to be fruitful and multiply. It’s how He designed us. Raising children is our way of fulfilling His command. Having children is a couple’s gift to God.
You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.
John 15:16 (NIV)
How can we lead our children to new beginnings? My son rolls his eyes at me when I tell him, “God’s got this!” Like all of us, he wants the answer to his problems NOW! It can be frustrating to remember that God’s timing is not OUR timing.
We can lead our children, or anyone for that matter, by being a living testimony to the life God has called us all to live. We can do something we’re afraid of to show others courage. Emulate compassion by being kind to someone others know we don’t agree with. Bite our tongue instead of lashing out to show an example of humility and patience.
Most importantly, we can pray for others’ new beginning. We can certainly be an example to our children and others by our example of good living. Only God through the Holy Spirit can actually give them their new start. So we need to pray fervently for our children! Pray for others and watch as God begins to act in their life. NOTE: Remember that God’s timing is not our timing. So keep praying!
New beginnings can come in different forms…A new job, a new home, a new school, a new family! They all give us an opportunity to start over…to begin again. Most importantly, we can begin anew by praying God will give us change in our attitude.
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 desert.
Isaiah 43:19
The Lord gives us that same opportunity each & every day. He’s not expecting us to change jobs or towns. The new you from a new diet program is not what He’s looking for either. He’s looking for a heart transformation. We see the same old things in a new light. We view things from His perspective, not thinking only of our life circumstances.
Sometimes we have to get out of the same old routine. Welcome some new friends into our plans. Try something we’ve never tried before. If we want a new beginning, many times our old way of doing things must change to make room for the new we are seeking.
New beginnings need to come from the inside out! That’s the heart transformation. This transformation happens naturally as we make Christ the center of our life….always contemplating on what He wants us to do.
The marriage of my niece, Noelle will begin a new way of life for her as she commits to living and growing with her husband, Will. We can all begin a new spiritual life by giving Jesus first place in all of our day-to-day affairs.
Dear Lord,
You give us opportunities to begin again all the time. We may not be getting married, having a child or moving to another city. Show us how we can start fresh by simply embracing a new outlook on what’s truly important in our life.
Jesus came to make all things new. Help us to turn to Him as we try to figure out how to make our lives a ‘new beginning’ that is pleasing to You.
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