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Saturday, Jan 6 - Surrendering Your Past
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DEVOTIONAL: “SURRENDERING YOUR PAST”
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Kintsugi is the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the areas of breakage with lacquer mixed with powdered gold or some other precious metal. The philosophy behind this practice is that the pottery’s imperfections are not to be hidden, but embraced, and the pottery made even more valuable and beautiful. Although kintsugi does not have its roots in Christianity, I believe this art form points to the gospel.
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Every human has things in their past they would rather forget. Perhaps you have hurt others or been hurt. Perhaps you’ve made destructive decisions, or spoken words you can’t take back. Perhaps you’ve been prideful, dishonest, or selfish. All of your good deeds today cannot erase the sins of your past.
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However, through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God has made a way to take your broken past and make something new and beautiful. Second Corinthians 5:17 states, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone, the new is here!” God doesn’t ignore your past, but forgives and redeems it when you trust in Jesus.
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Your past mistakes and sins do not disqualify you from being used in God’s service. Just look at many of the people in Scripture:
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- Paul was a religious terrorist who Christ transformed into the key author of the New Testament.
- Moses murdered a man, but God used him to lead the Israelites out of slavery.
- David stole another man’s wife and had the man killed, but was still the king God used to ultimately produce the Messiah.
Throughout the Bible, you see that just about everyone God used in mighty ways had a pretty messy past. Whatever you’ve been through, know you have not out-sinned the grace of God! You are loved more than you can ever know; so much that God sent His only Son to die in your place to reconcile you to Himself. As it says in Romans 8:1-2…
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“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death.”
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So surrender your broken past to Him, and watch Him make something even more beautiful out of you!
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Lord, thank You that You don’t define me by my past, nor let my past go to waste. Help me fully surrender my past (both the good and the bad) so that those in my neighborhood, workplace/school, and family can see your beauty shining through the broken areas of my life that only You can truly heal. In Christ’s name, Amen.
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