– Scripture:

God’s readiness to give and forgive is now public. Salvation’s available for everyone! We’re being shown how to turn our backs on a godless, indulgent life, and how to take on a God-filled, God-honoring life. This new life is starting right now, and is whetting our appetites for the glorious day when our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, appears. He offered himself as a sacrifice to free us from a dark, rebellious life into this good, pure life, making us a people he can be proud of, energetic in goodness.

                             Titus 2:11–14 MSG

– Reflection:

               A God Filled Life

In our hearts, God wants us to repent of our sins and turn away from our old selves. We need to trust that we can change and become new men with God’s help. It’s understandable that it’s hard to believe in a new life connected to God when we’ve been the way we are for a long time. But right here, right now, there’s a life that’s God-connected, God-filled, and God-honoring.

Where do we go from here?

The story of Jesus is considered the greatest story ever known. It depicts the collaboration between a father and son, working through the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish extraordinary and miraculous deeds. It is a story that includes all of us. We need to have faith that Jesus can bring about change in us. This trust should motivate us to confess, repent, and obey. Can we trust in this? The answer is both yes and no. Alone, we cannot attain a new life; it is unattainable by our own efforts. Without help, we will remain unchanged until our deaths. Even though we may desire self-improvement, we will only regress. This is the frustration described by Paul: “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate”. The simple directive to “man up” may sound appealing, but it is ineffective. We have all tried it, and it never suffices. However, with God’s assistance, we can indeed become new individuals. With His help, we can become His people, and He is eager to assist. He has been eager to help for a long time and is eager to extend to us His grace, a divine empowerment that enables us to do what is right – something that we are not capable of achieving on our own.

Our Prayer for Today

Father, we are grateful for this day and the opportunity to rejoice in it. Throughout this day, we are carrying out the tasks laid on our hearts and honoring you, Jesus. Amen.