Re-Cycling

God invented re-cycling. It's a fun thought to process. Take a plastic water bottle for example. When you drink the last drop, you have two choices.  One: you can consider it useless and discard it, or two: you can re-cycle it. Let's take a moment to compare this example with our lives. Although this comparison may be a stretch, it can actually bare witness to truth.  Please, follow me.....

Today, my son Samuel and daughter Bailee begin their 2012-2013 school year at a local Christian high school.  Sam is a junior continuing his journey through high school and Bailee is a freshman beginning her journey.  There are many pressures and expectations they face as teenagers. They have been taught over and over, what is required to be respectful, responsible Christians. When the pressures increase, there is a temptation to hide behind this head knowledge of doing and saying the "right" thing.  My husband and I so desire for their relationships, especially with the Lord, be be genuine. How does one teach "genuine"? The only trustworthy source to answer this question is God. The best way to teach anything is to experience the lesson personally.  The re-occurring lesson in my own life is humility.  This lead me to think about the principle of  saying "I'm sorry".  Not just sorry to others but first and foremost to the Lord.  Often times we end our day asking God to forgive us of ours sins.  While this is necessary and right, I believe we need to be "sorry" first.  "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death." 2 Corinthians 7:10 

Therefore, this year we as a family are practicing the principle of saying sorry. When I was thinking about this principle, I thought of four words. Recognize, repent, restore, and re-use.  Do you see now why I believe God invented recycling? Isaiah tells us in chapter 66 verse 2 the kind of person God respects: "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at my word." I want to be that person God Almighty esteems! I want that for my kids! Don't you? First word: Recognize.  If we will pursue humility and sincerely take God at his Word, then the Holy Spirit is free to help us recognize the things we need to repent of.  Did you catch the second word? Repent! When you are cleansed before God then you can be clean before others. "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" 1 John 1:8-9

After we recognize and repent, the Lord takes over to restore and reuse us. Through this process, we become genuine lovers of God and others.  I am so grateful that like the empty bottle, when I am at the end of usefulness, God does not discard me.  If I am willing to recognize and repent he is willing to re-cycle!

"May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and HE will do it."

1 Thessalonians 5:23-24