Before and After

Steve Arterburn

Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2
Corinthians 5:17)

When you trust in Christ you
become a new creation.  You no longer
live under the power of sin.  Now, you
have a new heart, inclined to love God and follow him.  A heart that is able to recognize and stand
against sin.  The song below I’m Not
Who I Was is a moving picture of the change that happens when one trusts in
Christ. 

And yet, though we are changed
to our very core, we still struggle don’t we? 
We long to say I’m not who I was about many more areas in our life. 

Strange Steps Toward Healing

I don’t know of anyone who would not prefer healing or transformation to
be instant and easy.  All of us like the
quick fix and instant solution.  We live
in a fast-paced world, and we want the pace of transformation to keep up.  We would like God to pronounce us healed so
we could just get on with our lives.  We
say to God and ourselves that if this one problem would just go away, we could
change our attitude.  If that is what
you are waiting for, you are probably wasting your time.  All of us want it that way, but it seldom
happens that way.

God’s ways are not our ways.  His
ways transcend human reasoning, and we will not know why God chose certain
things to happen the way they happened until we land in heaven’if we land
there.  We’ve come to believe that God
wants us to be instantly healed, and sometimes we demand it, but that is
usually not the case.  God rarely
provides an instant fix to our problems because it does little to change our
hearts or grow our characters.

I don’t know you, but I know God has given you favor.  God loves you so much He wants the best for
you.  He also wants to know if you want
what is best for you.  Do you want the
best so much that you’re willing to give up what is comfortable and predictable
but is anything other than God’s best. 
In some strange way God stands before you or within you asking if you
want to be well (see the story of the paralytic in John chapter 5).  He asks if you are willing to give up your
old ways for His ways.  I hope your
answer is going be yes. 

Brandon Heath – I’m Not Who I Was Lyrics

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I’m not who I was
I used to be mad at you
A little on the hurt side too
But I’m not who I was

I found my way around
To forgiving you
Some time ago
But I never got to tell you so

I found us in a photograph
I saw me and I had to laugh
You know, I’m not who I was
You were there, you were right above me
And I wonder if you ever loved me
Just for who I was

When the pain came back again
Like a bitter friend
It was all that I could do
To keep myself from blaming you

I reckon it’s a funny thing
I figured out I can sing
Now I’m not who I was
I write about love and such
Maybe ’cause I want it so much
I’m not who I was

I was thinking maybe I
I should let you know
I am not the same
But I never did forget your name
Hello

Well the thing I find most amazing
In amazing grace
Is the chance to give it out
Maybe that’s what love is all about

I wish you could see me now
I wish I could show you how
I’m not who I was

For more help please see our Healing is a Choice resources.

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