Becky Crenshaw

2 Corinthians 5:17-20 The Voice

 Therefore, if anyone is united with the Anointed One, that person is a new creation. The old life is gone—and see—a new life has begun!  

All of this is a gift from our Creator God, who has pursued us and brought us into a restored and healthy relationship with Him through the Anointed.

And He has given us the same mission, the ministry of reconciliation, to bring others back to Him.…  He charges us to proclaim the message that heals and restores our broken relationships with God and each other. 

So we are now representatives of the Anointed One, the Liberating King; God has given us a charge to carry through our lives—urging all people on behalf of the Anointed to become reconciled to the Creator God.

I could simply leave this right here.

No really. Go back and read it just a couple more times.

What words pop off the page? Those words are meant for you today.

Read it slowly.

I will wait.….

Here are the words and phrases that pop off the page for me:

New. Pursued. HEALTHY RELATIONSHIP. Mission. Reconciliation. Liberating King. God has given us a charge.

And what else, when I research the word NEW, it means: UNUSED. UNWORN. FRESH. UNPRECEDENTED. A NEW KIND. UNCOMMON. UNHEARD OF.

Isn’t this the best news? I mean, doesn’t the enemy want us to feel used up by our old patterns of sin, addiction, bondage and shame? He wants us to feel a little “lesser” so maybe we will keep our mouths shut about this LIBERATING KING who now calls us UNPRECEDENTED?!

I mean, when God sets us free WE EVEN PHYSICALLY LOOK DIFFERENT. We can see it in the mirror. He makes a DIVINE before and after picture of us…. OLD TO NEW. Our flesh image into HIS LIBERATING IMAGE.

You, my friend are not worn out and used up. Our past does not deem us unuseful. In fact, according here to Paul, YOU ARE MORE USEFUL to God because He has now given you the MINISTRY OF RECONCILIATION.

And once the chains of bondage are loosed, he starts to mend relationships around you, too. Idols are barriers and once they are removed, people can come near again. (That isn’t always easy… but you are equipped for the task!)

And don’t get me started on the fact that HE PURSUES US. Ok, I am started.

Don’t we all just want to be PURSUED? It feels so good to be included, invited and intentionally sought after. So for every time you have felt left out, abandoned or forgotten you just stick this feather in your cap…..

“THE CREATOR GOD PURSUES YOU.”

And and and the next time you feel you have NO CLUE what your “calling” is…. just turn the page right here. You don’t just have a little call on your life but “a charge to carry through your life.” Go today and let your life PROCLAIM that God has pursued YOU, healed YOU and now has sent you to HEAL OTHERS, TOO.

Reflection:

1. Write down the words or phrases that pop when reading 2 Corinthians 5:17-19. What do you think God is trying to say to you?
2. Write down some OLD things that have now been made NEW. Spend some time giving THANKS.
3. When God removes idols and sin from our lives, it opens up room for reconciliation to others. Who comes to mind when you think of the “need to reconcile”? Pray about this and ask God what He might be calling you to do.