I once knew a woman who, in all regards had died inside. She spent days lying in bed, hiding from the world and all that was in it. She would not eat or drink, she spoke to no one, not even her family. She would pray to die, thought about the different ways to commit suicide but felt that even in this area she would fail. All she knew was that she could not stand this pain and sorrow any longer. She saw doctor upon doctor. Took all types of antidepressants and anti-anxiety pills to no avail. She had no hope only despair. You might ask, why am I relating a story of someone else so freely, I do this because this is my story, and I am a new creation in Christ.

I say this because without Jesus I would not be standing in front of you today. God’s word tells us in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” It was through God’s grace that I now have a renewed hope and a future. When I opened myself up to God’s love and mercy an amazing thing happened, I had peace for the first time in my life.

You see I lived a confused and dysfunctional life for so long, I did not know what the truth was and what was a lie. I grew up in a cult and I was shown a God who was not loving only strict and unmerciful. Although I left this cult at the age of seventeen, I carried those thoughts of God and who I was around with me until 20 some years ago. That is when for the first time I saw and felt who God truly was. I started attending church, a church filled with those who loved the lord and loved to show that to others. It was right where I needed to be. During the first few months I struggled back and forth with what the truth was versus the lies of the enemy.

Finally one day, I escaped to the bathroom, the only quiet room in a houseful of people, and I fell to my knees and prayed to God to show me what was right and what was wrong, as I prayed a peace fell over me, like I had never known, and I knew deep in my heart who God was and what I had believed all my life was false. I felt free from condemnation and felt true love for the first time.

Now, I must tell you that my life has not been all peace and joy since I accepted Jesus, in fact sometimes I think that I have gone through more things, but I am reassured by the words of 1 peter 2:19, “For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of suffering because he is conscious of God.” It is through this consciousness of God that I can bear all things, it is through the renewing of my life and mind that I am able to go through the trials of this life, not by lying in bed avoiding them but by meeting them head on. It is through the strength of the Lord, which is spoken of in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through him who gives me strength.”

I once was a shell of a woman, now I am a new creation, full of love and hope. It is through the Lord’s love and grace that I now have a deep desire to reach out to others who are hurting and in need of hope. I would like to leave you with this challenge, from Mark 12:30-31, to, “… love the Lord your God with al your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no greater commandment greater than these.’” In parting I ask you these two questions. Who have you shown God’s love to recently? Don’t you think it is time to show others who God truly is?