The King's New Clothes

UV 621/10,000 The King’s New Clothes “ No one sews a patch of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch will pull away from the garment, making the tear worse.” Matthew 9 v 16 Jesus desires complete change from the inside of a man and not just some cosmetic or nominal change. Jim Rohn said, “ Change is inevitable but growth is intentional”. The change that we are normally used to is superficial and a kind of “patch-work”. Our old garment has lost its sheen, its ability to expand or shrink. This is the tension between new goals and old habits. We cannot live the new life in Christ with our old values. In medical terms, it is like using a band-aid to heal an inner malaise. Every New Year, we make resolutions to change for the better but end up same as before if not worse. We are putting a new patch on an old garment. The tear will only become worse. Spiritual growth is part of God’s plan for our lives. It is intentional not in the sense that anything we think or do can make it happen. It is God-intended. We need to intake the Word of God and chew on it again and again. It is the “ new wine” and our lives are the “new wineskins.” The new wine or the Word will ferment in our hearts and minds and produce the growth from within. We will wear the glorious garments of our salvation: love, joy, peace, truth and grace. The tyranny of the past over our lives and the fear of the future will both be ended. The old garments of guilt and unforgiveness, bitterness and vengeance should be thrown into the fire. The old baggage of memories will be replaced with new hope and new life. No part of our lives will be left naked and unclothed. When the new wine ferments in our hearts and minds, it will produce something that everyone will say is far better than the old. The Word of God will penetrate our deepest being and percolate to our deepest levels. It will generate new attitudes, new priorities, new habits and results. Our growth will be wholesome and healthy. Our souls will prosper even as our bodies and minds remain in good health. Prateep V Philip