“Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God's living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.” 2 Cor. 3:2-3 (MSG)
To think about the fact that my life is a letter others are reading-that my life contains a message to others is at times exciting and other times troublesome. I know what I want the message to be, but what is it really? What is the message of my life? Is it one of hope? Is it one of discouragement? Depends on who you talk to I guess.
There are times when I think that the message of my life could turn out to be failure, and then God’s Spirit within beckons me forward toward destiny. He invites me to cooperate with Him in writing His story. He has a way of telling the same story over and over in new and creative ways in all of our lives-but we must cooperate. I know that when I first came to be a follower of Jesus, it was because of my deep shame and frustration with the person I felt I had become. Then I heard a message:
Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) “What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun!”
This is the core message-that God takes His broken image in people and restores it! He loves His creation and it breaks His heart to see it (us) destroyed. He purposes to see us made whole again. He desires for us to fully reflect His image. He has predestined us to be like His Son. I think that the message Jesus uses to bring us to Him often becomes our life message. To me it was a message that said “Chris, you think you are nobody, but I know that you have divine potential”. That message resonated deeply within-it penetrated to my innermost being and gave me hope. I dared believe that I had value to God and others.
I now realize that message was so real to me that it became my life message. I love more than anything to share that message. Nobodies are in! The Kingdom of God’s Son is built with rejects. I love to see the underdog win. I love to see the broken- hearted heal. I derive deep satisfaction from seeing the “worthless” find their worth in Christ.
1 Corinthians 1:26-29 (NLT) “Remember, dear brothers and sisters, that few of you were wise in the world's eyes, or powerful, or wealthy when God called you. Instead, God deliberately chose things the world considers foolish in order to shame those who think they are wise. And he chose those who are powerless to shame those who are powerful. God chose things despised by the world, things counted as nothing at all, and used them to bring to nothing what the world considers important, so that no one can ever boast in the presence of God.”
Yes. In Christ, all can be made new. This is my story. For those who have seen the parts of me still under renovation, no worries, He is not done with me (or you) yet!
Philippians 1:6 (NLT) “And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again.”
What is your life message? What story is God writing in your heart? How will your story become a re- telling of His great story?
Chris Bennett
New Community Church
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