The Give

We all have a longing in our hearts to love and to be loved. I think it's pretty safe to conclude that every person ever born has this longing. I believe it’s because we are made in the image of God (Genesis 1:27). God is love (1 John 4:8) and so He designed us for love. Love is a relational concept, so for love to be fully realized there needs to be a relationship in place. But because we have all sinned and fallen from grace the way we love has become distorted where the natural inclination of our hearts is bent towards a selfish and self-serving love. That's what I see when watching this video: the results of a distorted love that ended in heartache and betrayal.

schism

This video intrigues me because in many ways it shows the transition a believer needs to make in their journey with Jesus. Let me explain, the Scriptures talk about being a new creation in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:17) where a person is to take off their old self and its practices and put on the new self, which is being renewed as we learn more about our Creator, becoming more and more like Him (Colossians 3:9, 10). Simply put, when a person gives their life to Jesus, God begins to transform them from the inside out through His Word and Holy Spirit.

But, what I've found out from personal experience is that walking this out is much easier said than done because living as my old self is what I know, it's what I'm comfortable with. So, like in the video, I'm walking around trying to live as my new self, but find myself stumbling about because I'm still trying to live according to my old life and its practices. Maybe this is a bit of a stretch with the video, but what I've come to realize is that living as my new self in Christ demands a persepctive change: It demands a new way of seeing myself, others, and the world.

Unlike in the video, instead of trying to figure it all out and trying to take matters into my own hands, I need to continue to live by faith and trust that God is not done with me yet (Philippians 1:6) and that He will help me to transition into this new life that He has for me in Jesus which for all intensive purpose means I need to become more comfortable with my new self and let my old self fade away. It means embracing the future God has for me and doing all I can in not fighting this transition from old to new.