A FRESH START

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A FRESH START By Pastor Dorsey E. Marshall Jr. "Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old.  Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and riversin the desert." ~ Isaiah 43:19       The Christian life is one of ongoing change. When discouragement derails your progress, you need God's grace for a fresh start. Jesus offers us just that. So, how do you start over . . . in a dead-end life? Many have made mistakes in life. Many of us have experienced setbacks and failures. Sometimes we allow these mistakes, setbacks, and failures to enslave us to the point that we never enjoy our full Christian experience. We're in a dead-end job; we feel stuck and thinking, "I went into the wrong career, and now there's nothing I can do about it." Many get married only to find their marriage is a flop. It may even end in divorce, or it may survive as a tragic, never-ending chain of arguments and fights. Too often, we say something to a loved one, or friend, and then, we're ostracized from them forever. Jesus said, "I am come that you might have life and have it more abundantly."              God says, "I want you to have a fresh start in life; I want you to have a new beginning; I want to do something new in your life." That's the major element of what our Christian faith is all about-the opportunity to start fresh, to do something new with our life, and to have an "extreme make-over." Apostle Paul, who experienced an "extreme make-over" said, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come."             If you want a fresh start, you'll need to stop making excuses for your failures. Stop blaming others. Stop seeing yourself as the victim. Other people can hurt you, another can harm you, and another can even scar you. But the only person that can ruin your life is you. Nobody can ruin your life without your permission. You have a choice, and you can choose how you're going to respond to those hurts. The Bible says the starting point is to be honest and accept responsibility for your part in the problem. Proverbs 28:13 says, "A man who refuses to admit his mistakes can never be successful. But, if he confesses and forsakes them, he gets another chance." He gets a fresh start. LET US PRAY: "Father, I am so grateful for my new beginning in Christ. Keep me strong so I don't repeat my mistakes, In Jesus' Name, Amen!" "Endurance is the seed for reward."

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