A Good Time for a Big Question
It’s Eastertide (or “Easter-O’clock” in world history). We’re wrapping our heads and hearts around the news of the risen Jesus and everything that that means. With that in mind, can you take a moment to ask a huge question with me? Perhaps the biggest question you will ever ask yourself is such a good one to ask in the Easter moment: “What is my life?” Some might roll their eyes and get on with checking their email, but give me a second to explain why I bring this up.
If you were to answer that question right now, you’d probably try to summarize everything that you’ve been through, are going through, and will go through in days and years to come. We talk about our life as a sequence of events and experiences, fair enough, because it is.
But if being a Christian is about a brand-new life, what does that mean for the life we have? Or had? This is what Easter keeps harping on us about, the celebration of a new life God has on offer to everyone and all things. If we say “Christ is risen!” but carry on with the old life we had, we might not notice that we’re not really tending to the new life that we’ve been given.
Now, stand with the disciples who witness Jesus offering us His peace, and sending us into this new life as witnesses, as new-lifers, a people who are still discovering just how good it is that God’s new world is breaking into the old. It’s a whole new future that begins now, today, in us. I wonder what will happen?
One of those disciples, Peter, later wrote, “Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.” (1 Peter 1:4-5, MSG)
Maybe you have no idea what I’m talking about and the idea that your life can be transformed and made new sounds suspicious or naive. You should meet Jesus. Email me (shawn@rezaustin.com) and let’s set up a time to talk.
Maybe you believe God makes our lives new but struggle to see it in your current situation. Share this with someone at Rez, pay attention and watch what God does. Don’t just sit there with this new life, go test it, pray about it, do something with it. Let your curiosity turn into discovery.
Right now, you are living out the answer to the question, “what is my life?” The God who gave you that life, who in His creative and loving genius made you for a purpose, wants to show you how to live. And it all begins by looking at Jesus, listening to what he’s said, and paying attention to his loving presence with you even now. I wonder what would happen today if we did.
