Letting Go of Our Past Season
‘Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: the old has gone, the new is here!’ 2 Cor 5:17
During the season when Xin Yu and I were preparing to be married, one of my mentors gave me a piece of wisdom which not only impacted how I viewed my marriage but I’ve carried with me into many other areas of life. The advice was that ‘grief comes before every gain’. The meaning was that before we are able to step into a season of hope and renewal it was important to take stock of what we were stepping away from.
In marriage if we were to step into building a family of our own, we must also learn to take steps away from our own family. The history, the rhythms and even the rent-free living(!!). If we are too attached to our prior life, then we lose the potential to embrace our own life.
I found that piece of wisdom applicable not just to marriage but to many areas of spiritual growth and sanctification as well. Disciples must learn to let go of our prior season of life so that we may flourish in our new season as a disciple of Christ. We must learn to let go of our pride, our sinful habits perhaps even our prior self-centred ambitions. It may seem painful at the time; it is necessary for our new life to flourish unhindered by the old.
This year, are there any parts of your old season that may be hindering God’s work in you for the coming one? Are there any past hurts? Disruptive habits? Dysfunctional relationships or even blessings that you may need to let go of for God’s purpose?
Let’s be encouraged to take stock of our life. To chase after God no matter what season is before us. To grow deeper in love and devotion to Him.
放開我們過去的日子
“若有人在基督裡，他就是新造的人。舊事已過，都變成新的了。”哥林多後書5:17
在我和善瑜準備結婚的那段日子，我的一位導師給了我一句智慧箴言，它不僅影響了我對婚姻的看法，而且我也把它帶進了生活中許多其他領域。導師的建議是「憂傷先於一切的收穫」。意思是，在我們能夠步入充滿希望和更新的日子之前，重要的是要能夠反思我們正在遠離的東西。
在婚姻中，如果我們要步入建立自己的家庭，我們也必須學會先離開自己以往的家庭，以往的歷史、生活節奏甚至以往在家免租的生活(!!)。如果我們太執著於以往舊我的生活，就會失去擁有自己新生活的可行性。
我發現這智慧不僅適用於婚姻，也適用於靈命成長和成聖的許多領域。門徒們必須學會放下自己過去的生活，這樣才能在作為基督的門徒的新日子裡蓬勃發展。我們必須學會放下我們的驕傲，我們有罪的習慣，甚至我們從前自我中心的野心。當時看起來可能很痛苦，但對於我們的新生活能不受舊的牽制而蓬勃發展，這是必須的。
今年，你的舊生活是否有任何部分可能會阻礙神在你即將到來的新生命中工作？有沒有過去的傷痛？壞的習慣？糟糕的關係甚至祝福，你需要為著神的緣故而放棄？
讓我們鼓勵自己去反思我們的生命。無論我們面前是什麼光景，都要追求神，加深對祂的愛和虔信。
