All Things New
All things new – wouldn’t that be wonderful. If we are going to have all things new then we need to get rid of the old. To make my point, I’m going to call the old, Trash! That’s right, trash.
There are six items of trash that must be disposed to make room for the new.
1. Anger Consider anger like a light on your dash that warns you of a problem with the engine. Anger is corrosive when it is fueled by entitlement. “I deserve!” “I have rights!” “If you knew who I was you wouldn’t treat me that way!” To be abused emotionally, physically, or mentally is wrong. You can use anger to focus on how you have been hurt or you can allow that anger to identify the deep need of the person who has wronged you. One leads to true forgiveness and the other to bitterness.
2. Wrath Wrath says, “I am the final judge in this matter and this is what I believe should happen to you. You deserve to burn in Hell!” Wrath leaves no room for mercy or forgiveness.
3. Malice I assume the right to revenge and will do what I can to even the score.
4. Slander “Your reputation is in my hands and I will all that I can to show people what kind of a person you really are.”
5. Abusive speech “Life and death are in the power of the tongue” and I will use my words to cut you down and diminish your value.
6. Lying lips “I will frame a reality around my goals, ambitions and desires without any consideration of how it affects you.”
The above trash destroys relationships, decreases our own creativity, and diminishes our potential growth.
They give us an illusion of power but rob us of maturity.
So what takes the place of the trash? Here are six things that will bring an expression of new life.
1. Compassion That is the ability to be touched with the feeling of another person’s infirmity or weakness. We can have compassion when we understand what has impacted a person’s life and led them to make the choices they have made. It doesn’t validate the choice it simply understands the circumstance that influenced the choice.
2. Kindness I make my assets available for acts of kindness. A kindness is an undeserved benefit or favor that I show to a person. It is a spontaneous act of good will.
3. Humility This is not putting myself down. It is the willingness to acknowledge weakness and then receive the strength that others can bring to that weakness. The gold medal figure skating couple, Bourne and Kratz, said that the secret to their success was learning to receive the strength of the other skater in their area of weakness.
4. Gentleness In gentleness I will reduce my strength so as not to overpower your weakness. In other words, the semi-trailer will be willing to pull over and stop to allow the small passenger car to pass.
5. Patience I will not impose my timeline on you, others, myself or God.
6. Love I will be willing to seek the good of others at my own expense. Furthermore, I will give without placing an expectation of change on the one to whom I have given. In addition, I will willingly own my part in the wrong of the other person. The icing on the cake of love is the willingness to walk with vulnerability and weakness.
A loving God has made all the above possible through His Son Jesus Christ. Let Him work with transforming power in your life and I’ll see you at the top.
Duane Harder
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