Therefore if anyone is in Christ [that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior], he is a new creature [reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit]; the old things [the previous moral and spiritual condition] have passed away. Behold, new things have come [because spiritual awakening brings a new life].
- 2 Corinthians 5:17
(This quoted section is the background story of how I came to the revelation. You can skip this and go straight to the main part if you wanna :) )
One night I was lying awake pondering about about why I am the way I am (narcissistic huh?), mainly about why I am not a stronger personality. Do you know this type of person whom when they talk, people would naturally listen? Yeah, that's not me. Heck, I'm so used to being ignored that it's no longer offensive. So I wondered, why am I like that?
Then my thoughts went to my childhood.
My dad was borderline abusive. Each time I said or did something wrong, that belt (or cane or feather duster) would come flying. My mom was a different form of the same treatment. When I displeased her, she would just plainly ignore me. Won't talk to me for hours or even days! I would tail her and kept apologising and be met with silence until she felt like talking again. The beatings and cold shoulders would come first, and the explanations (if there were any) would come after. Which means, during the beatings and ignorance, I wouldn't know what mistake I have committed.
So it dawned on me, no wonder I'm this timid. I grew up scared of whether what I say or do would be 'wrong'. I have no confidence in anything because I would just question everything. And I know I'm no longer in primary school and I now can discern right from wrong but I guess I affects the way I eventually carry myself.
So I thought, oh my God, if who a person is is shaped by their past, then isn't it set that I would stay like this forever? I mean, I can improve on my speech and confidence but deep down, would I always be that girl who has no alpha quality?
Immediately, the Holy Spirit reminded me of 2 Corinthians 5:17. The old things have passed away. New things have come. It's true that our past shapes us one way or another, but the moment we have Jesus, we are a new being! A new creature, the AMP version says.
Having Jesus in the equation changes everything. Everything works in a new way. And it's not even the fact that you are a better version of yourself, it's the fact that you are a new being, a completely different one from that person a second before you accepted Christ. Whoever that person was has been crucified with Christ immediately, has died, and now, the life that you have is Christ living in you!
- Galatians 2:20
This gives us hope. Whatever happened in our past is not a done deal. It no longer has to define who you are and what you will be. From now on till we meet Jesus, our fate is: by "beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18)
And the way that we are now? The person that is not perfect, who sins, makes mistakes, and in a state of continually being transformed?
Jesus looks at us and says, "You are altogether beautiful, my darling, And there is no blemish in you." - Songs 4:7
:) Be blessed!
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