Wellbeing: An Invitation to a Flourishing LifeSample

Spiritual Renewal

We've looked at physical and emotional well-being, but now it's time to talk about our spirits. Our spirits need renewal. Jesus says that unless we are born again of the Spirit, we have no part of the kingdom of God. We all have broken desires and spiritual baggage we've inherited or built up over time. When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, He brings healing and renewal to our Spirit. Jesus says this renewal is so significant that it's like we are born again. We put off our old life, our old ways, and our old desires and take on a new life, new ways, and new desires.

This doesn't mean we stop being ourselves. We're still the same person, but we're the same person with all the bad stuff removed. We are transformed from the inside out into the person we were always made to be. Sometimes it's hard to let go of our old ways, even if they're rubbish. We can be like hoarders who don't know when to let things go, but to experience the fullness of what God offers, we have to let go of the things holding us back.

This renewal isn't a one-off. When Paul says in Ephesians 5:18 that we should be filled with the Spirit, the words "be filled" are in the present continuous tense, implying that we continually need to be filled with the Spirit, again and again.

This doesn't mean we are constantly being reborn over and over. When Jesus came to wash Peter's feet, He told Peter, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." Peter then requests to have all of him washed. Jesus replies, "Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean." Once we've been reborn, we don't need to be reborn again, but throughout our daily lives, we still pick up things that need dealing with. Ongoing spiritual renewal is about continually bringing these things to God to wash us clean.

Thought Point: What is the state of your Spirit? What do you need to bring before God?

Prayer Point: Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you once again. Ask Him to wash you clean of any sinful way that may be present in you.