The Secret Place: 21 Day DevotionalSample

NEW YEAR, NEW YOU

2 Corinthians 5:17

The dawn of a new year brings so much joy, hope and excitement. People truly believe that a new year brings a new start and so have hope (again) that they have a fresh start. This is how we should view life in Christ, whether at the start of the year or in the middle or at the end. Being born again and actively living a repentant life means that you have a fresh start, every single day. There should be even more joy, hope and excitement because as a child of God you can be a better version of yourself tomorrow than you were today. We have been grafted into the Body of Christ and repentance enables us to abide and live in Him, so we can truly become a new creature. When you have become born again, you should be able to look back at your life and testify that you are not the same person you used to be. You are richer in righteousness and holiness and have rid yourselves of the sins and habits that used to eat away at your life and make you a bitter person and a bait for the enemy. In the same way we should be able to look ahead at the person we want to become, the person that is more transformed into the likeness of our Saviour Jesus Christ. We should be excited that we have a supernatural helper that ordinary human beings don’t have; The Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit enables us to be that person who is angry less, who gossips less, who drinks less, who clubs less and the list goes on.

The Holy Spirit renews our spirit daily and convicts us to replace the old tendencies, old habits with brand new tendencies and habits that foster eternal life. When we submit to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, we allow God to take over and by asking daily for help to live out this new life, the old things pass away, the old things are suffocated and they die. They literally die so we can grow and nurture fruit in our lives that beautifies us, and all can testify that we have changed. Living a repentant life is one that is lived in alignment with the Holy Spirit. It is a catalyst for us to change from the inside out. It works by confessing and agreeing with the Holy Spirit, so that our spirit is awakened and alive. Unlike a new year where the excitement and hope fades away because nothing actually changes as it is only the evidence that time is ticking, repentance and living in close fellowship with the Holy Spirit brings true change, true hope and true newness. Living a repentant life means that everyday is an opportunity to ask the Holy Spirit to examine you and reveal what you need to turn away from, every day is an opportunity to become more and more like Jesus.

Every day can be your new year!