New Beginnings

-Drew Blackston

I loathe moving. It’s not that I’m not excited about a new home or a new neighborhood, but it’s the whole packing and unpacking experience. It’s the finding boxes the right size, making sure we have enough tape, and then the actual day of loading and then unloading everything off that very same truck that gets me. I wish I could just snap my fingers and the whole process be over. With 2 kids, 2 dogs, a full time job, and other normal responsibilities, my wife and I are exhausted. If we aren’t packing a box then we are discussing furniture placement, curtain rods, closet space, or another important detail to our new beginning. Daily we are going through our current home and throwing into boxes everything that can be packed inside a 4x4 cardboard carrier and with a large blue sharpie labeling that box either “New Home” or “Donation.” What I found interesting about this whole experience is that some of the stuff that we have labeled “Donation” had a purpose and a place in our old house, but now that we are moving to a new house, that same stuff doesn’t have the same purpose and place. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says it this way about our own life: 


Now, if anyone is enfolded into Christ, he has become an entirely new person. All that is related to the old order has vanished. Behold, everything is fresh and new. 2 Corinthians 5:17 TPT


I like the Passion Translation of this verse because it says, “entirely new person.” It’s like we have moved out of the old person and moved into the new person, but there are still some boxes lying around from the old person that need to be dealt with. See, when you became a Christian, your spirit, or your inner person, is who got initially transformed. Your outer person, the one you see in the mirror everyday, is still dealing with the same issues as before except now it has the power of Jesus living on the inside. Jesus is your friend who is going to come over and help you pack those boxes up for your move. He’s going to hold things up for you and say “Donation” or “New Home.” He’s even going to give you suggestions on what should stay and what should go. 2 Corinthians 3:18 shows us how:


We can all draw close to him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.


When you become a Christian and begin to allow GOD to transform every area of your life, He is going show you some boxes that are better left behind and not carried into your new life. It’s not an easy process. Often times it’s certain relationships that GOD is going to ask you to give up for a certain period of time or even remove that relationship completely. Maybe in your life it’s not relationships, but its certain habits, addictions, or ways of thinking that GOD is going to pack neatly in a box and write in big blue sharpie, “DONATION.” Its your choice what to do next. You can either put those “Donation” boxes on your moving truck and take them to your new home or you can leave them behind and begin to allow GOD to transform those empty parts of your life into abundantly filled in Him. Proverbs 24:3-4 puts it like this:


Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled with all precious and pleasant riches. Proverbs 24:3-4 NLT


The word for riches in the original language is translated “wealth, riches, substance, and enough.” I personally like the word “enough” in that translation. GOD is enough. He is more than enough. When you build or establish your house with His direction, guidance, and help, your life is filled with enough. Many people see this verse from a financial point of view and I agree with that, but finances don’t make every area of our life “enough.” Only GOD can fill every room of our new life with enough. He is enough in our relationships, He is enough in our finances, He is enough in our job, — He is enough.  My prayer for you is that GOD will fill every room of your house with enough. That you will allow Him to pack up some of your junk that has been lying around too long and put that in the donation pile. Whether you are a brand new Christian or you’ve been saved for 30 years, GOD is always standing there, cardboard boxes in one hand, blue sharpie in the other asking, “Donation” or “New Home?” The answer is left up to you. 


Over the next several weeks and months, Anchor Movement is going to focus on a series called “Back to the Basics” where we answer and define what it actually means to be a Christian. We want to answer some of the questions that new and old believers have in their walk of faith. Some examples include, “How to study the Bible,” and “Why should I go to church.” If you have a question you’d like us to answer or explore on the blog, go to our connect page and leave your response or visit our Instagram page here and leave your response in the comments.  ​

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