Yesterday was Easter Sunday. A day of celebration of our Lord’s resurrection. It is the day that proves Jesus had power over life and death. It brings hope, peace, and freedom from the penalty of sin to those who accept Him as their Lord and Savior. For some, it is a day to spend with family and indulge in a feast of food. It is a day when many who do not normally attend church go to church. Others see it as a time for kids to hunt for eggs and receive a basket full of gifts and candy. It is a day to dress up in new outfits and take pictures. However, today is a day that most will get back to normal. They will go back to doing things they do every Monday.
How about you? Will your day be any different because of what happened on Easter Sunday? Many make promises and reflect on what God wants to do in their lives. It is good to think about the changes we need to make, but it is better to make them. In Isaiah 43:18-19, Isaiah reminds us that we are not to cling to the past of the way we did things. We are to consider the changes we need to make based on what we read and hear in God’s word. In verse 19, God proclaims he is making a new way to navigate through the desert times of life. He is always seeking to change us to be more like His Son, Jesus. In Romans 8:29, His desire is to conform us to be like Jesus. From the time we are saved until we die, we are in the process of becoming more like Him.
Isaiah 43:18-19 “Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.
Romans 8:29 “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.”
The sad thing is that many are content with their life the way they are. They have their life boxed out. Monday through Friday, daytime is a work box. Then at night, it is boxed off for activities and rest. Saturday is a play day for catching up on chores that need to be done. Then comes Sunday, and for a couple of hours, the box is scheduled for church. The afternoon box will include relaxing with the family and entertainment. Each moment of the week is scheduled into time slots, and it has become such a habit that it can be maintained without even thinking about it. There is nothing wrong with these things in themselves, but when we segment our lives and do not allow Jesus to be the forefront of each box, we are getting back to normal because it is comfortable. However, that “normal” is not okay with God. We must understand that if Christ is our life, everything about us should scream that we are different. When we live what Paul was teaching in I Corinthians 10:31 there will be no need for “boxes” to segment our lives.
Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”
How does this attitude, this decision, flesh out in our lives? In the workplace, our faith will push us to be the best employee or boss that we possibly can be. We will be fair, loving, kind, and considerate of others. In the home, we will prefer others above our own desires. In the market, we will pay attention to those around us. Looking for an opportunity to help or strike up a conversation to hopefully give a witness for our Savior. We must seek to be intentional in putting Jesus as the center of everything we do.
We are challenged in Philippians 2:3-4 to not think about ourselves but to consider others first. This is counter culture for the world we live in, but so is Jesus. God wants us to live for Him by denying ourselves so that we can better serve others. That is what Jesus did for us. He came, lived, died, and rose again for us! We are not to go back to the normal day-to-day life where we segment everything. We are to live our lives where Jesus is not a part of our lives, but He is our lives.
It will be easy to stay with your plan and continue to live with Jesus as part of your life, but it will not please God. God wants true, lasting change that reflects His Son. It doesn’t happen by self-effort alone. It is a process of yielding to the Holy Spirit, who works within us to create a new heart and a new mind. Just as a caterpillar undergoes a metamorphosis into a butterfly, God desires to transform us from the inside out—not just by modifying our behavior, but by changing our nature to be more like Christ. Break out of that box today and intentionally put Christ at the forefront of everything you do. Let this be the day you do not go back to normal.
