Cindy Dennis
Executive Director
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!
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.”
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.
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
