We’ve all heard the phrase ”new year new me”. People will wait until a new year comes to do a complete 360. But that isn’t how God works, and truth be told, that’s not how life works either. God has shown me that He works in you slowly with patience and grace. Change and transformation don’t happen overnight. It is a self-evaluation, confession, repentance, discipline, and sacrifice process. When you become a new creature in Christ, the old has passed away and the new has come.
Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.
2 Corinthians 5:17 (Gw)
So, where exactly does the phrase, ”pouring new wine into new wineskins” come from?
In Luke 5:37-38, Jesus told this parable to the Pharisees who were questioning why His disciples were not fasting. In response, Jesus answered, ‘‘Can you make the friends of the bridegroom fast while he is with them? But the time will come when the bridegroom will be taken from them; in those days they will fast.” He then told the parable of a new garment and new wine.
”No one tears a piece out of a new garment to patch an old one. Otherwise, they will have torn the new garment, and the patch from the new will not match the old. And no one pours new wine into old wineskins. Otherwise, the new wine will burst the skins; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, new wine must be poured into new wineskins.” – Luke 5:36-38
Over time for the past few months, I have been hearing in the spirit the words, ‘get rid of the old. Make way for the new’.
“Make way for the new”, God said.
What does that mean for me?
Close doors and leave places and mindsets that don’t serve a purpose in the season that God is transforming me for. Get rid of clothes that won’t fit the new me. Walk in a courageous spirit by visiting new places, doing new things, and meeting new people even when no one else goes with me.
Work on me as a woman of substance and godly character. Learn and apply my spiritual giftings so that I can successfully fulfill the mission I’ve been given. Walk boldly with authority in unfamiliar territory by leaning on the strength and faithfulness of the Most High God.
Then one day, God let me know the way of an eagle.“The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth”. – John 3:31 He said, ” Don’t waste time on earthly things and in useless conversations. Speak as one from above and live like one from above.
As 2023 was closing in, I realized that I was learning a whole new person. And that person is me.
3 Ways God Is Transforming Me
Eating Lifestyle
I didn’t realize until a week before writing this blog post that God had been changing my eating, cravings, and taste buds over time for a purpose. A while back, I started incorporating whole grains, fruits, and veggies into my diet. Roma tomatoes and pickled okra are go-to snacks. My go-to meats are fish and chicken breasts that I can cook and mix with different meals.
God has even given me the desire to start cooking more and eating quality foods when going out to restaurants.
Then one day something shifted in me and grabbed my attention. I was at work looking in a magazine and I came to an article on a husband and wife that incorporated the Mediterranean Diet. Before this day, I had never thought about this diet, well actually it’s more of a lifestyle rather than a diet.
While I was reading, the shift occurred and God strongly planted the desire in my heart to take on a Mediterranean approach to my eating and lifestyle. I know that what we feed our bodies matters to God and will help us mentally, spiritually, and physically live out the will of God, so I wanted to share a few facts and benefits regarding the Mediterranean Diet.
Facts and Benefits
This diet/lifestyle is inspired by the cuisine of the countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Israel, and Croatia just to name a few. This type of eating lifestyle is good for anti-inflammation, good health, and longevity. The Mediterranean lifestyle encourages exercise and eating meals with others, as both exercising and spending time with family and friends are good for one’s mental health and well-being. It helps prevent cardiovascular diseases and promotes healthy blood sugar levels. It also aids in weight loss and supports brain health.
I know that this lifestyle will definitely call for more home-cooked meals and I am looking forward to learning how to cook different meals.
My Attire
Have any of you ever had a hard time getting rid of clothes? I know that I have and don’t know why. I would always have excuses to hold on. But God! He has specifically said, “Get rid of them. They won’t fit the new you”.
I mean literally most of my entire closet. My prayer has been, “Lord please provide the resources to obtain the clothes that I need for this new season”. Why that specific prayer? Because the fabric and material aren’t cheap.
God has removed the desire for fast fashion and replaced it with a desire to buy timeless garments that are not only safe on my skin but will last a long time. He is calling me to buy more business attire and dresses that fit the woman I’m becoming.
He wants me to dress like I am already where I am going.
Although a person’s outward appearance does not matter more than their inward appearance, they do both work hand in hand together. I want to share something I read recently in The Woman’s Study Bible.
”A Christian woman’s appearance should be a complement to her inner spirit and never a hindrance to the kingdom of God. Beauty is more than an appealing face or the latest fashion. For a godly woman, good hygiene, healthy skin care, appropriate attire, and gracious manners are all expected to be a means of presenting an outward appearance that attracts others toward her life and ultimately gives opportunity for sharing a testimony of the Christ who dwells within her.”
This area of my life regarding attire is still a work in progress as I have yet to clean out my closet to make way for the new that’s coming. But all in all, I will embrace this change and trust God to provide.
My Environment
One Sunday morning in November of last year (2023), the spirit of the Lord told me to go to this church. A church that I’ve never attended before. I often tuned in to their live service on the internet when I didn’t attend my home church.
I had excuse after excuse. “My tire keeps going flat”, which it was. ”I have house company that didn’t want to go”, which I did. All in all, God knew the real reason I didn’t go. I didn’t want to go alone.
So instead, I went to the park and as I walked, I tuned in online.
The presence of the Lord was so powerful at that church that I felt it just by listening through my phone. A moment came while I walked that the Lord spoke to me.
He said, “You should have been there. I told you before that I will always be with you wherever you go”.
I instantly felt convicted and then He told me, ”The desires that I gave you will not be fulfilled until you move your feet and walk in obedience.” A little later during the walk, He told me how I was trying to hold on to the old and familiar, but I must let go. The godly community I desire and need, the husband that He has for me, and the freedom for my family are on the other side of change and obedience.
Father God used this time on my walk to let me know that this isn’t just about church, it’s regarding His Church and the things to come.
He let me know that there is a time and season for everything and as long as I keep my feet planted where they currently are and keep the same old mindset as before, I will delay growth and the will of God for my life.
There is a time to plant and a time to uproot. – Ecclesiastes 3:2
After that walk, I knew what to do.
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
Thank you for reading and if you relate, feel open to leave a comment if you are led to. My prayer for each of my readers is that you may see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living each day this year.
2024 will be a year of change for me. A year of stepping out of my comfort zone. A year of starting something new. Going to new places and meeting new people can be intimidating and nerve-wracking. Leaving places you’ve always known or comfortable in and starting over somewhere else can be frightening. But the good news is, God is with me and with you and He has proven faithful over and over again.
Amen.