Easter As A “Relationship” Holiday
First, I wanted to say that I hope you all had a joyous Easter with your families! I also wanted to take a moment to share my thoughts and reflect on what the Easter holiday, and beyond, means to me.
For years I thought of Easter as a “religious” holiday simply because it fulfilled the outward, material requirements of my church. I followed the traditions and participated in all of the rituals. However, they were all done without an inner devotion. Going through the motions of the rituals provided me a sense of identity and, quite frankly, attending services looked good. In essence, I went through the outward motions, but my heart wasn’t in it.
As I’ve grown in my faith and reliance on Him, I now consider Easter a “relationship” holiday that doesn’t last just one day in the springtime. Instead it weaves into my ordinary life and lasts all 365 days of the year.
We Are Made New
Because of Jesus’s selfless sacrifice on the cross, you and I who call Him our Savior are made new and considered worthy. Because He took our sins to the cross and endured the penalty we deserved, we are now righteous before God.
On the outside, we may look the same, but on the inside, we’re entirely new people. The “old” truly has gone and the “new” has taken its place! Like a fresh load of laundry taken out of the washer, you and I are now clean and no longer stained.
Today is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life
Years ago, there was a popular saying; “today is the first day of the rest of your life.” As a child, I thought it was silly and didn’t fully understand the meaning behind it. Today, as a Christian, I understand that the reality is that every day with His Spirit in us, we can start afresh.
Whatever should have/could have/would have regrets I have or mess-ups I made yesterday, last week, last month, last year, or any other day in my life, I’m now able to fully embrace and know that through me staying in step with and cooperating with Him, I can have a fresh start today, tomorrow, and every day that follows!
“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (2Cor 5:17)
You Are Perfectly Imperfect
I’m passionate about each of us finding our purpose and consequently pursuing our passions on this earth. I challenge you to be brave enough to be whatever it is that’s in your heart to be. I challenge you to stay true to yourself and to the person you were created to be. You are perfectly imperfect and that’s ok.
The good news is that this challenge is filled with power when it’s lived out by those of us who have the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead living in us.
“God is able to do exceedingly, abundantly above all we ask or think according to His power that works in us.“ Eph 3:20
Because the Spirit of God is within us, our potential to be extraordinary is within our reach. We were not made to settle. Each of us was made for greatness.
So, as we release the habit of calling Easter “religious” and instead celebrate our beautiful “relationship” with Him, let us remember this:
“Our old history ends with the Cross; our new history begins with the resurrection.” -Watchman Nee
