The Great Recycler
We have two large trash bins for sorting: everything that can’t be used again and everything that the city says can be recycled. We recycle so much that I frequently wonder if the things I buy have been to my house before, but in a different form. After all, we recycle all kinds of things: paper, plastic, glass, aluminum foil and cans. We don’t recycle because we’re looking for something to do. We do it because it’s the right thing to do..
The key to recycling is that it takes sorting out what can be reused, and then applying some kind of process to make it usable again. Nothing comes straight out of the recycle bin and back to our houses. It’s got to be worked on first. Items may be broken, crushed, mashed, melted down, chemicals applied, and otherwise pressured and reshaped until they are in a usable state, though likely different than their original state.
As good as our recycling abilities are, Jesus Christ is the ultimate recycler. He takes us where we are, in the shape we are, applies His love, forgiveness, and power in our lives to make us new. Our character changes. We aren’t who we were, but we are remade into His image. From tax collector to follower, from fisherman to disciple, and from persecutor of the Church to committed apostle who wrote much of the New Testament, our Christ specializes in transforming lives for our good and His glory. In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul explains, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; old things have passed away; new things have come” (NASB). In the story of the Prodigal, the transformation from the once-son-now-servant feeder of pigs to honored son, clothed as royalty, is a vivid picture of how Christ can transform our lives.
The next time you’re dumping the recycling bins, remember your own transformation. Regardless of the sins that soiled your life, Jesus provided the opportunity for transformation through His shed blood. He helps us become new as we struggle to change our behaviors, attitudes, actions, and thoughts.
If you need a fresh start, Jesus Christ can help. Just like those recycle bins, you can dump the bad things and become new. He can help you trade bad thoughts, actions, attitudes, and behaviors for a new way of living so that the old things pass away and a new way of living emerges. Renewal and regeneration is yours for the asking. Just ask Him today.
– TH –