Over the holidays, we got rid of cable. The TV was set for it, yet when we disconnected the cable and tried connecting a streaming service, my husband and daughter had some issues. It appeared to not want to work. I mentioned to them that maybe unplugging the TV may reset it and perhaps it would be ready for something new. They did that and they were able to download the streaming service.
This got me thinking, are we not this way with God? Humor me here, but are we not like the TV? We get programmed a certain way as we grow up. We live life and for most it is good. Then we meet God and hear about His Son Jesus. We begin to have faith. In order for us to receive all that God has for us, a reset needs to happen. How we have been programmed up to now won’t work any longer. We can’t add the newness of Christ living within us while we operate with old, worldly programs. We must prepare ourselves for something new.
A lot happens when you place your faith in Christ. Check out the following scripture on who you become when Jesus enters your life: Galatians 2:20 “My old self has been crucified with Christ It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So I live in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Also read Romans 6 to understand why you need to be reset, then Romans 8:1-17.
“For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.” Romans 8:14
Romans 12:2 talks about the great reset that needs to take place. “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you (reset you) into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”
Check out Proverbs 3:5-7. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding (see, more resetting needs to take place). Seek His will in all you do and He will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.”
A change must take place within your heart and mind. Jesus cannot reside within an unrepentant, unprogrammed heart. He is calling you out. This calling is one that will lead you to not mingle around in your old ways, whether in thought, word, or action. A reset takes place when Jesus takes ownership over you. Please do not let that bother you nor hinder you from abiding in Him. God must have control over your life if you want to be His child.
To help in understanding how vital it is to be reset so faith can take root and become deep and strong, read 1 John 1:5-10, 2:15-17, and 3:1-10. Here are few truths from 1 John, “We are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness.” “Do not love the world nor the things it offers you.” “But the Son of God came to destroy the works of the devil.”
As God resets your heart, mind, and soul, He does so with grace, love, mercy, and a great deal of understanding and patience. He knows you will trip and lose your footing. You will be drawn back to the ways of the world, yet when you turn back to God, He will continue teaching you and guiding you to abide even more deeply with Him. Think about verse 1 in 1 John 3, “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!”
Always be ready for something new. God is active and He takes you from one glory to the next until the day He returns to restore His beloved creation back to its original design which is without sin.
Carol J German 