I bought a sad little house plant (an Ardsisa Red) at the end of the summer. I wish I had taken a picture of it when I first got it. Lowe’s had marked it down to $1.00, as if they were begging someone to take it off their hands. It was a brown, shriveled up 1-inch tall twig, with a teeny tiny spec of green life hidden under one of the crunchy leaves. I took it home, re-potted it, carefully watered it, and sat it next to my kitchen window, making sure it would get lots of morning sun. On several occasions, I wasn’t sure it was going to make it. I would see growth, then the next day, another leaf would turn brown and shrivel up. But… just a couple weeks ago, after almost 6 months of little by little growth, I noticed a new sprout on my now 6-inch tall, deep green, healthy plant!
I couldn’t help but think of how messed up my life can be. I fail time after time, then guilt sets in and the tiny bit of growth I had, seems to all of sudden turn brown. I become a shriveled mess, just like my plant. That’s when I need to remember what Jesus did for me. How do I so often forget?
Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:6-15, emphasis mine).
As you and I begin our New Year’s resolutions, let us strive to accomplish them in light of this: we have to “walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith.” And when we fail, let’s be reminded that all of our trespasses have been forgiven. Jesus himself set it aside, “nailing it to the cross.” This year we can walk in God’s grace, knowing that in Christ we are new creations. And through Jesus, our shriveled up messes can start to sprout new life. What a beautiful thing!
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5:17, emphasis mine).
