Making The Old New

“What’s new?” a friend good-naturedly asks.

“Nothing, really. Just the same old same old,” comes the hackneyed, time-worn reply.

The response is suggestive of a life that’s in a rut. Boring. Lifeless. Listless. And mundane. How sad.

Well, today is the day to make a change. Because it’s National “Old Stuff Day”

Yes, according to the calendar of usual, wacky, and weird holidays, “Old stuff Day” is not a day to do the same old stuff.” Their web page suggests making some exciting changes. Engaging in new and different activities. Do something different. Begin your Spring cleaning. Throw away old clothes. Or make new use of an old item.

More importantly, however, than doing something different is being different. This day reminded me of a familiar passage about the old and the new in Ephesians 4:22-24.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

One modern speech paraphrase expresses it this way. “Put off your old way of life as you would put off an old suit of clothes; clothe yourself in a new way; put off your sins, and put on the righteousness and the holiness which God can give you.”

A similar passage in Colossians 3:8-10 is even more specific and succinct regarding old attitudes and actions to discard and new ones to adopt.

But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him.

Warren Wiersbe illustrates this great truth by Jesus’ words following Lazarus’ resurrection after being in the grave four days. At Jesus’ command, his dead friend came forth from the tomb alive. Then Jesus commanded, “Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44). Take off the graveclothes! Lazarus no longer belonged to the old dominion of death, for he was now alive. Why go about wearing graveclothes? Take off the old and put on the new.

In that vein, consider these applications of observing “Old Stuff Day” with some changes that will really make a difference in your life. Lift you out of a religious rut. Calm your disquieted spirit. Awaken you from a spiritual malaise. And resurrect the values and virtues of a new life in Christ.

Take an old habit and break it.

Take an old wrong and right it.

Take an old grudge and drop it.

Take an old problem and solve it.

Take an old priority and adjust it.

Take an old dream and revive it.

Take an old attitude and change it.

Take an old trespass and forgive it.

Take an old resentment and dismiss it.

Take an old relationship and reestablish it.

Take an old irritation and ignore it.

Take an old temptation and subdue it.

Take an old commitment and renew it.

Take an old method and improve it.

Take an old motivation and restore it.

Take an old sin and correct it.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new” (2 Cor 5:17).

–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman