Time of Year for Making Old Things New

Did you know spring is like Christmas? In their own ways, they’re both a “most wonderful time of the year.” Springtime brings warmer temperatures; flowers are starting to burst forth; and nature as a whole is emerging from its winter slumbers. It’s a time for renewal, reinvigoration, even rebirth.

 

Before long we’ll be seeing those creatures both curious and wonderful – caterpillars – crawly little critters aspiring to become something bigger, brighter and definitely more beautiful: Butterflies. What an amazing thing: a fuzzy creature slinking slowly along the ground that somehow knows how to build a rebirthing chamber called a chrysalis, only to emerge within a few short weeks as something totally different, newly equipped with delicate, colorful wings for flitting from place to place. 

 

This is more than a scientific marvel. It’s a miracle, a profound example of God’s creative capacities. It’s also a glorious metaphor for spiritual truth – God’s grand desire to turn each of us into something totally new, unstained by sin and its consequences. In fact, 2 Corinthians 5:17 puts it this way: “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” 

 

Sounds like that one-time caterpillar that has wrestled out of its chrysalis, doesn’t it? The difference is, our own transformation spiritually is all God’s doing. We respond to Him by faith, but He’s the change agent. As Jesus Christ told Nicodemus, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again” (John 3:3). We can’t do that ourselves.

 

It’s a profound mystery, but true nonetheless, that as Galatians 2:16-20 describes it, “…So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by observing the law…. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

 

Why is this comparison of the lowly caterpillar and humans so important? Because it provides a common but compelling example of how God has worked from the very beginning, first speaking substance out of nothingness, as well as taking the old and broken and restoring it in ways that no longer resemble what was before. In Isaiah 43:18-19 God declares, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing? Now it sprints up; do you not perceive it?” 

 

One doesn’t need to look too hard or too far to observe the sorry, sickly state into which our society has descended. In vain we look for manmade cures. The very best that government or business or philosophy can conjure fall way short of fixing the seemingly unfixable. New laws, innovations and human reasoning seem little more than a Band-Aid for problems that require major surgery for spiritual heart disease.

 

Should we give up in frustration and despair? Not at all, and that’s one reason I believe God created the caterpillar-butterfly metamorphosis. It’s a visible depiction of how He intends to work in each of our lives, if we let Him. 

 

Near the close of the Book of all books, the Lord says, “I am making everything new!... Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true…. It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life” (Revelation 21:5-6).

 

The “new thing” God spoke about thousands of years ago, as recorded by the prophet Isaiah? He’s still doing it. Current residents of a world overwhelmed by so much pain and sorrow, we have the promise of a new world like nothing we’ve known: 

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

Any time you’re feeling down in the dumpster, fearing our world is going the wrong place in the proverbial handbasket, just look at a butterfly for a reminder: New things, they are a-comin’! 

The Spiritual Sides of Spring

Blossoms on our dogwood tree are our most vivid reminder of spring's promise.

This may come as a shock to anyone reading this up North, but it’s springtime! While the last vestiges of winter were continuing to pummel the Western, Midwestern and Northeastern states, we folks here in the South were already having the thrill of firing up our lawnmowers and trimming our lawns several times. So for those just starting to delight in the warmer weather, be advised that for some of us, it’s been here for awhile.

Actually, mine probably doesn’t qualify as a lawn, since there probably aren’t more than 15-20 legitimate blades of grass in my front and side yards combined. But at least it’s green, and when the weeds are closely cut they don’t look much different.

Every year one persistent
tulip announces spring's
return.

Every spring’s arrival not only marks an end to winter’s chill, but also brings a bit of spiritual symbolism. As buds pop out on once-barren limbs, we’re reminded of new birth, a recurring theme in the Scriptures. In reference to spiritual rebirth, 2 Corinthians 5:17 observes,  “…the old has gone, the new has come!” 

Everywhere we turn, we find evidence of that: flowering buds giving way to green leaves; colorful flowers emerging from the ground to make their annual appearance; birds returning home after their winter “vacations”; bees buzzingly going about their work, and squirrels scampering across roadways and clambering up trees.

The deadness and dormancy of winter bows out, succeeded by the chirps and rustlings of yet another spring bursting forth in all of its glory. For the spiritually minded, it also serves as a reminder of Jesus’ promise that, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). And for those who have received Him into their lives, that we too can “walk in newness of life,” as Romans 6:4 terms it.

If the goal were to grow
weeds, I'd be the best
in our neighborhood.

There’s another type of symbolism that spring offers, however, that’s not so exuberating. It’s the nefarious weeds I referred to earlier that ignore our unwelcome mat and persist in showing up, sometimes next to the beautiful plants and flowers we enjoy.

In one of His messages to His followers, recorded in Matthew 13:24-30, Jesus spoke about the wheat and the tares, weeds that commonly grow in the midst of grain. At first they appear very much alike, but before long the wheat and tares can be easily distinguished and must be separated. The tares must be gathered and destroyed, He said, until only the wheat remains. 

The weeds that infiltrate the monkey grass that lines our front walkway are like that. At first they’re indistinguishable, but before long they become evident for even casual observers to notice. Insidious sins that creep into our lives are like that. At first, hardly anyone notices; maybe not even ourselves. But over time they make their presence known, and their seductive, negative influence on our lives becomes undeniable.

Wise King Solomon used a different analogy with the same meaning when he wrote, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom” (Song of Solomon 2:15). At first the pesky thoughts and behaviors we cultivate seem of little consequence, but then we discover them guiding us down paths we never intended to take. The best way to deal with them, like weeds and little foxes, is to get rid of them as soon as we become aware of their presence.

Before long we’ll find ourselves again mired in the “dog days of summer,” but until then we have the opportunity to benefit from the many reminders of renewal, of rebirth. And also to become refreshed about the need for vigilance to prevent the “weeds” in our lives from taking root – and taking over.

Spring: A Timely Reminder of an Eternal Truth

Dogwood blossoms - messengers that
spring has indeed arrived.

A few weeks ago, perhaps when we weren’t looking or paying attention, spring arrived. For people in some parts of the country, belated snowstorms made that hard to believe, but it showed up just the same. Looking out the window of our home in late March and early April, blossoms that suddenly appeared on our dogwood tree gave evidence to it.

Throughout the winter the tree had stood barren, without a single leaf to show any sign of life. Then out sprouted the blossoms, followed by tiny leaves, ones that soon will grow to full size and vibrant green. I don’t know that trees “play possum,” but for several months this tree definitely appeared dead. Then it burst forth with life, demonstrating that despite purported “climate change,” the seasonal renewal cycle remains in effect.

Soon flowers will be blooming brilliantly in their gardens, bees will be flitting from petal to petal. Grass – and weeds – will display their hearty return. Birds will resume chirping, mosquitoes will again “buzz off,” and all things spring will have sprung. Manifestations of “Mother Nature” will be renewed.

Renewal is a common part of everyday life, too, from the annual renewing of subscriptions for periodicals to insurance premiums to memberships in favorite organizations. For many things in life, it’s not once for all time – a restart is necessary from time to time.

Interestingly, renewal is a key to spiritual growth as well, both collectively and individually. This theme recurs throughout the Scriptures, in both Old and New Testaments, providing a foundation for becoming a consistent, fruitful follower of Jesus Christ. However, unlike natural renewal which occurs like clockwork – you can almost set your calendar by it – spiritual renewal isn’t automatic. It involves God and the believer working in tandem. Here are some biblical principles about renewal:

Renewal is not optional for Christ followers. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Renewal is a work of God. “Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).

Renewal involves an act of the will. “lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and…be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth” (Ephesians 4:22-24).

Renewal begins in the mind. “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:2).

Renewal focuses on the present and the future, not the past. “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:18-19).

Renewal must be – renewed - daily. “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day” (2 Corinthians 4:16).

Renewal results in making us more like our God. “…since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:9-10).

So as we enjoy the return of beautiful flowers and trees, watch the squirrels, rabbits and other critters frolicking in our yards, and engage of myriad springtime activities, let this season of renewal serve as a visual reminder of our great need for spiritual renewal as well – beginning with today.

That Bloomin’ Time of Year Again!

Based on the title for this blog, you might be thinking it’s about the NCAA Basketball Championships. Nope.

As this week ended the sun was shining, trees budding, squirrels scurrying, birds chirping, bees buzzing. Lawnmowers roared to life for the first time all year. Even though spring hadn’t officially started, evidence of that bloomin’ season were all around.

Seems just yesterday I was writing about the bombardment of snow much of the country was receiving, even here in Chattanooga. But already those days seemed distant memories as blossoms exploded from branches, tulips popped through the soil, and cagey cardinals and blue jays resumed their sport of diving in front of oncoming cars, then zooming out of harm’s way at the last moment.

I love spring, not because it signals the cessation of cold and commencement of warmth, but rather because it marks a rebirth, a moment when things start again – and yet, start anew. The last of the past fall’s leaves were just banished from our yard; now their successors are quickly emerging.

Soon everywhere we look, brown will have transformed to green. Coats and gloves will be replaced by cool tops, shorts and sandals. It’ll be “safe” to go outdoors again.

For me spring also is a metaphor for spiritual reality. God in His creation is fully engaged in the business of making new, not only in flora and fauna, but also – and especially – in mankind, whom the Scriptures tell us God created “in Our image, in Our likeness” (Genesis 1:26).

A favorite Bible verse reminds me, “…if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come” (2 Corinthians 5:17). The reason for this? So that “we too may live a new life” (Romans 6:4) or, according to another translation, “…walk in newness of life.”

So as the spring returns to your step, is there a “spring” in your spirit?

Springing into Something New

There was a lot going on last week: Daylight Savings Time arrived on Sunday, St. Patrick’s Day came at midweek, and spring was sprung upon us on Saturday. I’m getting too old for so much excitement!

I was in Omaha, Nebraska for several days, and they apparently didn’t get the message about spring there. As my flight was leaving Friday morning, they were expecting 4-6 inches of snow. Nice of them to wait until I was ready to leave – I had already switched into spring mode. (We did actually have some snow flurries this morning in Chattanooga, but I think those were just leftovers from a previous snowstorm.)

Anyway, now it’s spring. The natural course of global warming has begun – at least in the Northern Hemisphere. There is something fascinating about this season. After months of cold, dreary days and dormant plant life, the cycles of growth resume again. Soon we’ll see blossoms bursting into view, new leaves sprouting from barren tree limbs, grass again beckoning, “Gentlemen, start your lawnmowers!” and birds returning to northern abodes, chirping cheery greetings to one another.

Spring signifies the renewal of hope, the promise of life resuming at full speed. After hunkering down to keep warm, we emerge from our homes to revel in new birth everywhere we look.

Interestingly, new birth is a recurring theme in the Bible. In John 3:3, Jesus said, “You must be born again,” not meaning we need a new perspective or new philosophy, but literally a new spiritual life available only through Him. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” That is what the Scriptures refer to as Good News.

When we observe Easter April 4, that’s what we’ll celebrate.