24/7 AthletesUzorak

RENEW: PART 1

“…to take off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, the one created according to God’s likeness in righteousness and purity of the truth.” – Ephesians 4:22-24

Once you’ve taken time for a reset, you can find freedom in the Truth of a new identity and new purpose in Christ. That freedom only matters, however, because He renews your life—by giving you a new heart.

New Heart

After his reset, Peter still went through a challenging three-year process that led him to understand God’s Truth.

In the days and hours before Jesus faced trial, torture and crucifixion, Peter refused to believe that Jesus would die (Matthew 16:21-23), cut the ear off one of the soldiers who was arresting Jesus (Luke 22:47-53), and denied that he knew Jesus three times (Matthew 26:69-75) just as Jesus had prophesied (Matthew 26:31-35).

As Jesus was taken away to be crucified for our sins, all of the disciples, except for John, fled the scene in fear. Three days later, Jesus miraculously was raised from the dead and began appearing to His closest followers. On one occasion (John 21:1-19), Peter was fishing when Jesus approached the shore and began preparing a fire to make breakfast.

Just like the first time they met, Jesus performed a miracle and filled Peter’s nets with more fish than could be handled. Peter ran to meet Jesus. Even though Peter had sinned against Jesus through his denial, Jesus welcomed Peter, restored him, and called him to share the gospel with the world.

Peter’s new heart would give him new purpose as one of the most successful evangelists in Christian church history. Many years later, Peter would write these powerful words:

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.(1 Peter 1:3)

Real Change

As an athlete, a reset will often lead to a change in key elements such as training, practice, nutrition, and even sleep habits. These changes take place when you’re tired of getting the same results, which results in a shift in your mindset.

The same is true for your spiritual life. There are negative attitudes, stressful thoughts, and bad habits that are doing you harm. Your spiritual reset should lead to changes in how you approach every day.

There’s one difference. You can’t make those spiritual changes on your own. It’s through the renewal of your heart (or your spirit) that Jesus gives you the ability to change those things that are holding you back. That real change can only happen when ask Him to forgive your sins and accept the salvation He paid for on the Cross.

Then, you can begin to see your life transformed—just like God’s Word reveals in Ephesians 4:22-24.

• What are some things about God’s Truth that you struggle to understand?
• What areas of your life do you think having a new heart (or spirit) might change?

Everyone has things they want to be made new in their lives. Here is the first thing you can receive from Jesus as you begin your spiritual journey:

• New Heart: Thanks to what Christ did on the Cross, you can have a new heart as He makes you more like Him everyday.– Ezekiel 36:26