A Renewed Life, Part 1 – Repentant

By Amy Ford

Shortly after my conversion from atheist to Christ-follower, I attended a twelve-step program for loved ones of alcoholics and addicts.  My new husband had struggled with addiction for years, and I realized that I needed help to deal with the issues that come with loving an addict.  We followed the same twelve steps as our addict counterparts, but applied them to our own lives.  The first of those steps, as you may know, is to admit that you have a problem.  Once that is accomplished, one can begin to move through a process of changing one’s life, attitude, perspective, and actions.

Fast forward ten years.  I have worked in youth and women’s ministries, taught the Word and just lived life with people, and one of the first questions I ask is, “When did you first have an experience with God?”  Many reply that they said a prayer one time at a youth camp or raised their hands after a moving sermon, or even that they were baptized.  Naturally, the next question is, “What has God done in your life since then?”  Sadly, there isn’t always an answer to that follow-up.

I think sometimes we, as believers, get stuck on Step One.  We can admit that we have a problem, say a prayer, ask someone to pray over us, even get baptized.  But living a renewed life is not just a one step process.  I believe so many of us were walking along in our lives, paused to say a prayer of salvation, and then continued in the same direction we followed before.  But the book of Acts calls us to repent and turn to God.  We must not only repent, but change our direction, which means everything changes with it: our perspective, vision, and viewpoint.

Paul reminds us in 2 Corinthians 4:16, “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day.”  Renewal is a continual process, a daily step of faith to discover God’s will and be obedient to it.  It inches us closer and closer to the perfection to which we are called.  And this requires the work of obedience and the stretching of our faith.

It is not easy to walk in a new direction, or to take steps that may require the sacrifice of our plans and ideas.  But it is worthwhile because God’s destinations are so much more than we can think or imagine.

So, what does a “renewed day by day” life look like for you?  How do you take steps to move closer to God’s will for you?