Articles
Embracing Your New Self
If you are a baptized Christian who is truly aligned with God’s teachings you're going to change your thoughts and actions to be more like His (Col. 3:1-17). As you embrace your new Christian ways, you will discover that some people–most likely for reasons of their own–won’t ever want you to change. They may even peer pressure you not to do so. In part, this is why there will be a temptation to revert back to the way you were before becoming a Christian .
In these moments it is important to remember Philippians 3:12-16 which says, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” In Philippians 3, the apostle Paul is talking about how making Christ and His teachings the priority in your life makes your relationship with Him personal. When you are intimately close with God, you begin to recognize the value of His eternal perspective and blessings. By abiding with Him, you will possess a strength that will carry you through challenges until you are by His side in Heaven.
To experience the people you care about to not reciprocate the same level of love and respect back is hard. However, there will be others who will work with you and embrace your personal and spiritual growth. These are the people you will want to keep close in life, because they are the ones that will strive to love you unconditionally. It took my brothers awhile to get used to the new me after I became a Christian. We used to enjoy watching certain shows together and had a different way of communicating. Due to growing up in and out of the church, as a teen I would always say that I would never become religious, especially not a Christian. For the first few months and maybe even up to a year after getting baptized it almost seemed like they were curious to see if I was going to give this new me up like our family had done so consistently in the past. However, once I showed them that I was serious about being a Christian, they respected my changed standard of living and we embraced our new rhythm.
Joshua 1:9 reads, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” People may come and go throughout your life, but the Lord never will. James 1:16-18 tells us, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.” Some gifts might not seem good to us at first, but since the Lord is always consistent, His promises never change. Keep striving toward Him and you will find blessings and unconditional love in this life as well the next.
