When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is mankind that you are mindful of them, human beings that you care for them? Psalm 8:3-4
I wonder this often. That we serve a God who hung the moon and the stars and He knows us by name. He is literally the God of the universe, yet He knows our inner most thoughts. It is mind boggling and incredibly beautiful.
Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will also give that person a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it. Revelation 2:17
Now, I am no biblical scholar or theology know-it-all (trust me), but what I do know is this: from the very beginning, a new name has meant a fresh start, a clean slate. We see that in Genesis when Jacob’s name becomes Israel (Genesis 32:29). It’s prophesied in Isaiah 62:2. We see it with Simon who becomes Peter, Saul who becomes Paul. And in Revelation, John is writing about what Jesus said is waiting for us in Heaven. A new name. A clean slate. A fresh start. Where all our sins, all our mistakes will be washed away and in the eyes of the Savior, we will be made new. That is what awaits us in heaven. But, we are not yet there. We are still here, on this beautiful Earth that God created. We are living out this in between one day at a time. So, how, as people in this world, but not of this world, do we live as if we are made new right now? Because the truth is, we are. As soon as we accepted Jesus into our hearts, He made us new.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here! 2 Corinthians 5:77
Knowing that truth and living that truth are two very different things. And honestly, we never will be perfect, nor are we called to be. But, on this side of heaven, our new hearts allow us to love ourselves as we are, broken and imperfect. Our new hearts allow us to have our eyes fixed on Jesus, our heart posture towards Him, in seeking His Kingdom. Our new hearts help us to forgive, pray for our enemies, and love our neighbors. Our new hearts allow us to walk in freedom and peace despite what is happening in our circumstances. The answer isn’t simple, but it is straight forward. We surrender again and again to the Lord. We lay our burdens at His feet; we seek Him first; and we let Him work on our hearts, transform us to be more like Christ as we walk out our in-between on this Earth. We live, no longer for ourselves, but for His glory. Why? Because then He will FILL US with the fruits of the Spirit; love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfullness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22). And those, they are nothing compared to what our new name on that white stone in heaven will bring us, but they are how Heaven is brought to Earth. They are how we walk through this dark and heavy world. They are how we bring light, not only into our lives, but to the world.
Love and Blessings,
Radical Road 