“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he (she) is a new creation, the old is gone, and the new has come!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
I can barely remember my ‘once upon a time’… it was such a long time ago. I used to play dress up and wedding day when I was a little girl. I know I did it, most girls do! But I do remember vividly the dress up days with my Granddaughters, Aria and Kavenna. They would sneak in my closet and pull my clothes off the hangers and toss onto the ground. Piles and piles of clothes lying on the floor everywhere! They were trying to figure out how to make those big clothes fit. And they were so ingenious! A twist of a rubber band in back to tuck it in, a hair clip to pull it back, whatever it took to keep the clothes on! They wanted to look beautiful. The artwork cleverly smeared on their face was living proof they were gorgeous. Rose quartz blush blotched on the cheeks, velvet blue eye shadow dabbed spontaneously on the eyes, and then those plump hot pink lips! We can’t forget the princess dresses. You were guaranteed to look and feel stunningly beautiful once you stepped into your princess gown.
We all know the story of Cinderella. How her mean Mother and stepsisters pushed her around and convinced her daily that she was unattractive and ugly. She never had time for herself. She wore rag clothes that needed mending and her hair was usually in knots. Her image of herself was very poor. Until one day, in a moment of time, her rags were replaced with a beautiful evening gown laced with jewels. Her hair sparkled with brilliance and you could clearly see the glowing confidence she displayed on her face. Cinderella’s self image had been drastically changed. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she looked in the mirror and saw a miraculous transformation had taken place. She even had glass slippers adorning her feet, making her the most beautiful girl of the Kingdom. And the most remarkable change occurred in her thought life. Before she use to think - “I’ll never go to the Ball, I’m not that kind of a girl, I’m not dressed for it, I’m ugly, and I belong in rags…” Yet NOW she viewed herself differently, because her fairy godmother gave her a brand new identity…
One of the greatest blessings of becoming a Christian is your brand “new” identity in Christ. I was 24 years old when I experienced the ultimate spiritual makeover, by making Jesus Christ the Lord of my life. Besides my new identity (a child of God), I gained eternal youth LOL (eternal life), a daily cleansing and rejuvenation treatment (Holy Spirit), complete with a new wardrobe (the righteousness of Christ) plus SO much more! God has been at work inside of me changing me from the inside out, shaping me and molding my life to look like Jesus. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, (she) is a new creation, the old is gone, and the new has come!” ~2 Corinthians 5:17
I’m all about the old passing and becoming brand new!
This is the topic + theme of our NSCF 4-part Summer Series in July: The Ultimate Makeover… God’s Beauty Tips.
You are invited! Begins Monday evening, July 10th, at 6:30pm. You can find out more details and register on-line at www.nscf.church/women
We hope to see you there!
Aloha, Karen