becoming whole from the inside out

Learning to Live Inside Out!

My husband’s ankle replacement recovery is finally beginning to take a positive turn. We knew it

would, but sometimes we didn’t see it, feel it, or the circumstances didn’t look it. The surgeon assured us last week when the stitches were removed, we would notice his strength starting to come back.

Then yesterday he actually had an appetite for a real meal.

What fun it was to see him come join me for a family meal at the table again last night, or my favorite, to actually eat a meal at a restaurant for our first date in weeks. I enjoyed getting to sit across from him and have a two-way conversation again, to banter, laugh and dream again.

Have you ever wished you could have a fresh start at life? When you make Jesus the Lord of your life that is exactly what happens. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NLT) says “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”

When we accept Christ as our Savior, He comes to live inside of us, and He gives us a new nature (see Romans 8:9). Galatians 2:20 (TLB) says “I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. And the real life I now have within this body is a result of my trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

We have the very nature and life of Jesus living on the inside of us. It is pretty amazing all that

becomes ours in Christ. Learning who we are in Christ is important for us to walk in the fullness of this new life that is ours.

 This requires us to make time to be in His Word to renew our mind to these new kingdom

principles (see Romans 10:1). It means we now are to walk by faith, taking Him at His Word and not allowing our emotions to lead and direct how we see ourselves (see 2 Corinthians 5:7).

 It means looking forward to what lies ahead (see Philippians 3:13).

He has deposited in us everything we need for living a truly good life (see 2 Peter 1:3). Just because we have all this ability and gifts bestowed in us, doesn’t mean we are able to automatically walk in these kingdom principles. Lack of knowledge can prevent us from walking in our full inheritance that Jesus died to provide for us.

Learning to live inside out is a process. It requires baby steps of growth to progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him (see Philippians 3:10). As you live in union with Him as our source, fruitfulness will stream from within us. (see John 15:5).

So, let’s decide today to discover who we are in Him. Everything we need and desire is in Jesus. He is for us; He is with us and He is in us. Let’s learn to live inside out!

Create in me a clean heart

Today was a big day for my husband, who had ankle replacement surgery two weeks ago. He returned to the hospital to have his cast removed, so the surgeon could examine the stiches and determine if it was time to have them removed.

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While the surgeon was looking over the condition of Pat’s ankle, he wanted us to know that before the surgery Pat’s ankle was crooked and deformed, and now after the surgery it is no longer. He explained how he cleaned out all that was defective, plus straightened out the ankle, so Pat could look forward to a future of new beginnings, with a perfectly “formed new ankle” to walk without pain, to walk without a limp and to walk straight.

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Psalm 51:10 reminds us that we can come to God to create a new, clean heart within us. Although He is all knowing and no secret of the heart is hidden from Him (see Psalm 44:21), Godwants us to acknowledge our shortcomings and wrongdoings. Confession helps to release those things that are hidden in darkness so God can cleanse and make new our heart. God desires truth, because He knows that it is the truth that sets us free (see John 8:32).

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It is encouraging to know that we can talk to God any time about anything and know that we will never experience condemnation or rejection. In fact He assures us that as we draw near to Him, He draws near to us (see James 4:8). David wrote in Psalm 51:10 (TPT), “Create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you.” Though David had ignored his sin of infidelity and murder for a long time, when he admitted his wrongdoing, God was there, and the weight of his burden was completely lifted.

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No matter what you have done, and no matter how bad it was, there is a new beginning for you. 1 Peter 1:9 says “If we freely admit our sins when his light uncovers them, he will be faithful to forgive us every time. God is just to forgive us our sins because of Christ, and he will continue to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

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Not only can we be cleansed, we can hope again. Not only can we trust God to take away our sins of the past, but we can also look ahead with new perspective.

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Not only can we enjoy new beginnings, we can “walk straight” one step at a time.  Set your gaze on the path before you. With fixed purpose, looking straight ahead, ignore life’s distractions.—Proverbs 4:25 TPT

Becoming whole and complete

This past week my husband had right ankle replacement surgery. What an adventure that was for him to prep, then leave at 3:30 am to arrive at Walter Reed National Military Center to check in by 5:30 am. After the pre-op meeting with the surgeon it was time for the 4 hour or so surgery to have his ankle replaced.

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The surgeon called me after 12 noon to let me know that Pat was in the recovery room. He was very upbeat about the procedure and indicated that all that was broken and damaged was removed. His ankle has been replaced with a new joint that will bring wholeness and completeness to his foot. He went on to say that the best thing Pat can do now was to begin seeing himself fully able to walk again without a limp and without any pain. In about two weeks he will begin his physical therapy. He was made whole and complete on the inside so he would be able to walk free of pain on the outside.

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God the Master Physician declares in Colossians 2:10 that in Him we have been made whole and complete. It is encouraging to know He will meet us where we are when we make Jesus the Lord of our life. With His help, we can walk in freedom and enjoy life without any evidence of our broken and damaged past.

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].—Psalm 147:3 AMP

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Maybe right now you are broken inside, unable to walk through life without pain. Turn to your Master Physician who is able through the power of His Holy Spirit to touch those inner hurts and bring about a complete healing and restoration.

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When the pains of your past want to come back, it is important to not believe that nothing has changed on the inside of you because you don’t feel it or see it. When you made Jesus the Lord of your life, He made you a new creation all brand-new and complete on the inside. We have the responsibility to get in His Word and renew our thinking. Soon your wholeness on the insidewill affect how you feel, think and talk about yourself on the outside. Be patient. What God has begun; He will finish. (See Philippians 1:6)

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IT IS TIME…

… to let go of the burdens, brokenness and pains and enjoy the refreshingly free life that He promises to give us (See Matthew 11:28-30).

… to give yourselves completely to God to be used for His good purposes (see Romans 6:13).

… to begin seeing yourself complete in Christ, no longer damaged goods that must settle for second best in life. (see Colossians 3:11)

… to believe who you are in Christ, regardless of your circumstances, or how you feel. (See Colossians 1:2)

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He came to save us. It’s not that we earned it by doing good works or righteous deeds; He came because He is merciful. He brought us out of our old ways of living to a new beginning through the washing of regeneration; and He made us completely new through the Holy Spirit.—Titus 3:5 VOICE