Hope For The Future

Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!

“I don’t think I can change,” he whispered, looking at the floor, disappointment and discouragement almost a visible cloak over his slumped shoulders.

I silently prayed to God before speaking. “Yes, you can. I know you can. With God’s help, things can be different. Change isn’t easy, but it’s possible. I don’t care what you’ve done in the past; you can always choose something different today.”

He nodded, unsure if he believed me. My friend has a hard past. He’s made mistakes and created patterns that, although they may be tough to change, aren’t impossible to break. Even through all the wrong choices and missteps, my friend loves Jesus, and he continues to try for something better. It’s not the first time he’s heard the truth from me, and it won’t be the last. It’s difficult for him to believe just how good God is and that he’s able to make all things new, so I’ll keep reminding him.

Sometimes we need others to encourage us and remind us of the truth in God’s Word when we can’t believe it for ourselves. But God doesn’t lie. We can trust him because we can trust his character. Loving. Forgiving. Merciful. These are all words to describe the nature of God. And no matter who we are or what we have done, God promises that if we belong to Christ we have become a new person. Our old lives are gone, and we’ve begun new ones! Everything is reset to what he originally intended.

There is always hope. Your past is not an indicator of your future; it can’t dictate what will be. Today is a new day, and we can choose something different going forward.

Kendra

Today’s Act of Gratitude

Look back at your life and identify a negative thought or behavior pattern that, with God’s help, you’ve been able to change. Spend some time thanking God for his grace that helped you do so.