Why I Love Easter
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!-2 Corinthians 5:17 This is a favorite verse and one that has impacted my life. The truths of this verse give me hope everyday! Hope for my loved ones and anyone that I’ve prayed for.
When I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, I received the most wonderful gift of all, forgiveness of sins, and eternal life with God. That is why I love Easter! The other gift I received was the opportunity to become a new creation. God’s love gave us access to every spiritual blessing when Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead. In fact, his love has the power to transform our lives.
Many of you might be satisfied with the person you are now. You might be in the process of changing. Some of you might not even know where to start. Before I became a Christian, I was unsatisfied and unhappy with myself. Many people thought of me as an intelligent, happy, and successful person. My parents had money after all, but they seemed to fight all the time. That’s why I grew up thinking that money doesn’t really matter. Love is what matters.
I didn’t think of myself as successful. Fortunately, God was after my heart. When I look back at the person I was before I met Christ, I'm so glad he intervened in my life. I was extremely introverted and afraid of expressing my own ideas. People that knew me at that time didn’t think I was very shy, but I saw myself much differently. Recently my mother told me that she never thought of me as a fearful person, but honestly, I really had many fears. I believe many people are trapped in similar misconceptions about themselves.
I also didn’t know my purpose and had no vision for life. I always knew I wanted to be successful and make a difference in this world, but didn’t know how. I remember a particular speaker who shared at my high-school when I was about twelve years old. He shared about the impact a person can make as a missionary, and I considered becoming a missionary. But I couldn’t. I was riddled by fears and by the lies I believed about myself. That’s why I love the fact that people can accept Jesus in their hearts and truly change or become new creatures.
In the last 30 years of my life, I’ve come to understand success in the Kingdom of God can be measured by the quality of your relationship with Father God. When Christians walk in God’s ways, look for opportunities to bless others, and allow the leading of the Holy Spirit, we experience great success.
Sometimes it seems like it can take much work. God makes it simple if you believe what his Word says and accept that he has all the power to change us. I became a new creature the evening that I accepted Jesus is my heart. It's different for everyone; some people take longer in getting hold of this truth. I took it to heart and believed that God made me brand new. I noticed the difference right away. My shame was washed away. God imparted his love over me. His Spirit transformed me, not because of anything I did or didn’t do, but because of God’s great mercy. When I chose to repent and give it all to follow my Savior, I became a new creature.
That is how we become whole. God wants that for every one of us. This is why he died and rose from the dead. Through God's infinite love, Jesus gave us eternal life, and made us brand new creatures. This is the message of Easter.