Listen

So then, if anyone is in Christ, that person is part of the new creation. The old things have gone away, and look, new things have arrived!

All of these new things are from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and who gave us the ministry of reconciliation. In other words, God was reconciling the world to himself through Christ, by not counting people’s sins against them. He has trusted us with this message of reconciliation.

2 Corinthians 5:17-19

Think

The dictionary defines reconciling like this: “To find a way in which two situations or beliefs that are opposed to each other can agree and exist together.”

God is on your side. Whatever situation you’re in, God can bring you back, help you survive it, and give you the Spirit’s love to sustain you.

Did you know that one of the main things accomplished by Jesus’ death on the cross was the mysterious work of reconciliation? That’s an important thing to remember during Lent: that what seems like two opposing situations, God’s perfection and love, and our imperfection and mistakes, can actually come to agreement and co-existence. This happens not through any achievement of our own, but through God’s patience and grace with us.

God is always creating, and our scripture tells us that anyone who is in Christ is part of the new creation. I wonder where you’re longing for something new to be created in your life right now.

Cari Pattison

Question to Ponder:

What do you think it means that anyone who is in Christ is part of the new creation?

Pray

Forgiving God, sometimes it’s really hard to forgive myself, let alone others. Thank you for giving me the ministry and message of reconciliation. Would you show me what that might look like in my life, and in the world around me? In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Go

May you go into this day knowing you are held up and carried forth.

May you feel the truest most beautiful things in you brought to life.

And may all the disconnects that really matter, be rejoined and made new.