— Andrea Portilla

new life.png — Embracing The New Life God has for You

At church we sang a song and the words struck a chord..."The Resurrected King is resurrecting me."

Resurrected means to restore to life, to bring new vigor to. In the bible when the resurrection of Jesus is spoken of, it literally means to wake or raise up. We were at a friends cabin during the weekend and I'm not sure how we got to the topic, but I began telling her what my life was like 5 years ago. It seems like a lifetime ago, really, but merely 5 years. Those years were filled with fears and anxiety, sadness and depression as I walked from hill to valley feeling as if that terrain was my lot in life...the thorn in my flesh. God had another plan. A Resurrection Plan! He was not finished. He called out to me and I awoke, I rose up and the hills and valleys became the promise land! The giants I faced were taken down by the sword and the faithfulness of God. I am not who I once was. Truth be told I am not even sure who that person was or what makes me different now. I can't pinpoint it and I sometimes wonder...maybe I was in a state of sadness that I didn't realize. Maybe I was living a life sapped of all joy and contentment. I do know I was living a "barely getting by" kinda life. A life relying on a formula that wasn't working rather than faith.

“Living joyless can make everything seem less.Faithless and hopeless and even lifeless.”

Living joyless can make everything seem less.Faithless and hopeless and even lifeless.

I was walking dead. Just getting by. Panting for water and only finding empty and dried up streams. And now...Life. Abundant. Expectant. Radiant Surrendered. Joy Filled streams of living water.

Oh, I still struggle to breathe at times. I try to walk on my own instead of leaning on Jesus. I try to carry all my burdens instead of asking and relying on God to carry what is His. That' OK. I'm learning. Moving more towards faithfulness everyday. Becoming better. Sometimes it does feel like 2 steps forward, one step back, but those two steps forward tend to be steps where I am following God and they are usually in the right direction and usually more like leaps and the one step back, well, that one is one I take on my own and its usually a timid step, where I retreat a bit in fear or worry. When I walk in truth and trust, those small steps back are worthless.

Yeah, sometimes I try to hide from His calling. It's an old, out of date idea that never worked. Like Adam and Eve in the garden, I believe the lies and the guilt and the shame try to take hold. Yet, God still calls out to me. He still pulls me toward himself. Sometimes I'm weary and I'd rather not engage in this christian life. I lose my passion and purpose and then God gently reminds me of how passionate he is for me, that he sent his son to die a gruesome death for my selfishness and tired and sometimes apathetic soul. Because of the Resurrection, Jesus is Resurrecting me!

Jesus was resurrected after He went to the gates of Hell and the grave and tore them down and then He rose and won! His prize was you and I! His life was restored and He lives so you and I can live! We become like Jesus more and more daily, because he is constantly resurrecting us. He is waking me up to different callings and reviving my life and soul daily. His resurrecting power awakens me to rise to the call. Friends, what in your life needs the resurrecting power of Jesus Christ? What is he waking you up to?