"Behold, all things are made new" is perhaps one of the best biblical descriptors of heaven. "Anyone in Christ is a new creation" is perhaps one of the best descriptors of what our lives should be like as we follow Jesus. I thrill at the newness of life as I follow Jesus. I equally thrill when I see others who have discovered this newness. It is like Christmas when we experience the newness of Christ’s presence- Oh, wait, it is Christmas when we experience the newness of Christ’s presence. Or, at least it should be.
Here is the rub. Many who should be "living in the new", prefer "living in the now". The "now" sounds good. It sounds a lot like Matthew 6:34 and not worrying about tomorrow or Luke 9:23 and denying oneself daily. But, more often than not, the now is the preoccupation of the urgent and pressing needs that squeeze out newness. I have witnessed far too many believers living with the pressure of the present needs, that they forget the experience of God’s prevailing and ever present grace. Being in a position to discuss and act upon weighty matters presents plenty of opportunity for replacing a light heart with a heavy one, a smile with a furrowed brow, a visible joy with a visible angst. But, that is not the newness that Christ creates. He can turn our lives around on a dime. He can certainly bring freshness and newness in even the most serious moments. When Nehemiah said, "The joy of the Lord is our strength" he did not say it in a Disneyland moment, but one of potential stress and serious opposition.
When I visit with pastors and laymen, churches and conferences, I am looking seriously for signs of newness. Don’t get me wrong. This is serious stuff. But, because it is serious stuff, we need to experience the sustaining presence of the Holy Spirit, which is never stale and routine.
I just spent time with friends from across the ocean who are experiencing serious joy and newness in the most laboring circumstances. If they can, then those of us living in lands of opportunity certainly should be. What has God made new today?