Made new, but I remember the old

And we believers also groan, even though we have the Holy Spirit within us as a foretaste of future glory, for we long for our bodies to be released from sin and suffering. We, too, wait with eager hope for the day when God will give us our full rights as his adopted children, including the new bodies he has promised us. (Romans 8:23 NLT)

Pearl S. Buck reminds us, "One faces the future with one's past." The past isn't necessarily part of our future when we are made new in Christ Jesus. Our past 'formed' us in a way, with events and influences of the past helping to define the 'norms' of one's life. In Christ Jesus, we are made new. We might long to be free (totally free) of sin and suffering, but the influence of sin left us with some of the consequences of sin, did it not? We are free of the sin, yet the results of that sin sometimes linger in our minds, bodies, and emotions. Christ's goal is for us to be free - living beyond the influence of our sin and its enticement to return to it. Full rights to live differently - that is what we are given in Christ Jesus. We might not 'see' the evidence of this right to make different choices immediately, but the more we draw close to Jesus, the more our desires change. Those changed desires yield different outcomes, don't they? The consequences of sin seem less and less apparent in our lives because we no longer focus on them or the sin that brought them. Our past is finally put into the past, and we are free to focus on our present and future in Christ.

Truth be told, we cannot 'undo' some things. If we engaged in some sins that affected our health, such as drug or alcohol abuse, the body can 'recover' somewhat, but there may be lingering ill-effects of such pursuits. Our 'new bodies' don't come the moment we say yes to Jesus, but they are assured to us in eternity! Our choices change, though. We find ourselves drawn away from those things that left an ill-effect on us. Emotions that were once raw and on edge all the time are somehow renewed by his presence and power. Thoughts that plagued us for years and years are finally replaced with different, Christ-centered ones. In short, we are being made new. We might want instantaneous 'newness' in every area of our lives, but we won't likely realize the fullness of this 'newness' right away. As with all manner of living things, growth is purposeful, sometimes slower than we'd like, and must be endured with patience. As we begin a new year, we can never lose sight of the 'new thing' God may be leading us into. It doesn't mean we lose all that was in the past, but we take only what will benefit us in the present into this 'new thing' he is doing today.

Letting go of what isn't important any longer is sometimes more difficult than we'd like it to be, but it is essential to move past what should be left behind in order to make room in our present for what God has in store for us. As you consider what needs to be left and what needs your full attention in this new year, remember that God has given you 'full rights' to enter into this 'newness' he has prepared. With that, he gives you 'full rights' to let go of what needs to be left behind, as well. Just sayin!