Think About These Things
by Gemma Gardner
When I got married, nearly twenty years ago now, I gave up my maiden surname and took on my husband’s surname and became his wife. As we were signing the register on our wedding day, Dean’s Mum kissed me on the cheek and said, “Welcome into the family!” I had taken on a new identity.
When I came to know Jesus as my Lord and Saviour and believed what He had done for me on the cross, I became a child of God, and I was no longer under the wrath of God. My sins were atoned for.
The same thing has happened to you if you have put your trust in Jesus. Recently, I was reading in Colossians 3, and three words in the above verse stood out to me: ‘chosen’, ‘holy’, and ‘loved’. This is our new identity, and if you think on these three words, they will bring you hope and comfort, whatever situation you are facing. Here are some of my thoughts to encourage you.
‘Chosen’. Paul tells us in Romans 8:29 that those whom God foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. And Jesus said in John 15:16, “You did not choose me, but I chose you”. If you are feeling rejected and despised, remember, God has chosen you.
The next word in the verse is ‘holy’. I don’t tend to think of myself as holy, specially when I have sinned in my words, or I’ve had a wrong heart attitude. But, from God’s standpoint, that is how He sees us when we are in Christ. Hebrews 10:14 says, ‘By one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy’. God sees the finished work in our lives, even though we are still in the process of being made holy. Let that comfort you.
Lastly, we are dearly loved by God. Yes. We are loved. It can take a long time for that knowledge to sink down into our hearts, but it’s true. I had to choose to believe it, even though I didn’t feel it. That might be the case for someone reading this, too. But as you trust, you will begin to experience God’s love for you personally. And when we know these three things in our heart, it will influence the way we live, and we will want to clothe ourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. These are fruit from the Holy Spirit. They take time to grow, but they will grow as we think about these things.
Gemma Gardner lives in Norfolk with her husband, Dean, who until recently worked at Ellel Grange. They are both part of the Associate Ministry team which Gemma joined after completing the Modular school. Gemma has experienced the Lord`s healing and restoration over many years and longs to see Him healing other broken people. Gemma loves listening to music, cooking, knitting and crochet as well as outdoor exercise. She enjoys playing guitar and singing worship songs.
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