Encouragement for Today
Principle #1
“The Hair Cut”
Melissa Taylor, Speaker Team Member, Proverbs 31 Board of Directors
Key Verse:
2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (NIV)
Devotion:
My daughter was in great need of a hair cut.
She has beautiful, long, brownish-red hair. The problem is we can’t brush or comb it without major tears in the morning! It’s only gotten worse the longer we’ve gone without cutting it. You see, she loves to play hard, swim, and keep up with her three older brothers.
While I knew that it needed to be cut, the thought of those sweet locks being snipped just broke my heart. She wasn’t too excited either. The reality of someone cutting her hair terrified her.
We decided to visit a hair stylist at a local salon. As soon as we walked in the stylist said, “Oh, I see we have a swimmer here. I’d know that dry, split, chlorine hair anywhere!” At first I was offended that she would talk to us that way, but I realized she was speaking the truth. Hayley Grace’s hair was dry and split. I was pretty amazed that she also knew why. How could she tell? She could tell because she’s in the business of hair. She’s an expert! She went on to explain that with a simple wash and trim, Hayley Grace’s hair would be a new creation. The cut would take off the old, and a healthy vibrant head of hair would be revealed. My daughter was fascinated by this. She said, “Let’s do it Mommy. I want new pretty hair.”
Friend, where are you right now? In what condition is your life? Is it cracked? Are you suffering? Do you feel defeated or unworthy? That’s not the way it’s supposed to be. Just like I took Hayley Grace to an expert to repair her hair, we have an Expert that can repair our lives- no matter the damage. Jesus Christ is the true life make-over artist.
In 2 Corinthians 5:17, the Bible says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” (NIV). Do you understand what that verse means? It means that you can become brand new, transformed, and whole. It requires one thing though: that you allow Christ to do the work for you. He is there for us. We just have to believe in Him and trust Him to do His work in us. Oh, it’s not always easy. The truth can hurt. Change can be difficult and painful, but the end result is so worth it. When we give our lives to Christ, the old is gone. We are new creations in Christ Jesus. We are new lasting and permanent creations too. The makeover Jesus gives is not temporary. It lasts forever. We can’t lose it, no matter what.
Oh, I wish you could see my daughter’s new hair cut! She looks like a little princess. Her hair is healthy, no split ends or dryness remain. The old is gone. Unfortunately, her new hair style is just temporary. We must continue taking care of it to keep it looking this way. Only the changes Jesus makes are eternal. That reminds me - she really is a princess. She is a daughter of the King. Are you?
My Prayer for Today:
Dear Lord, I know there are changes that need to be made in my life. I need You to help me make them. Guide and direct me the way You want me to go. Give me the desire to leave the old behind so my new life in You will be revealed. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Application Steps:
Think about your life right now. Are there old ways or habits that you need to shed? Take a moment to write them down and then go to God with them. Ask Him how you can make lasting changes.
If you have not asked Jesus Christ to be your Lord and Savior, why not do it now? There’s no better time than today to make permanent changes in your life. You can be a new creation today!
Click here:
Reflection Points:
Do you consider yourself a daughter of the King? A Princess?
Is there an area of your life that you need to change or makeover?
Have you talked to God about renewing your life?
Power Verses:
John 3:16, “God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.” (CEV)
John 3:17, “God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.” (NLT)
Colossians 3:1-2, “So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective.” (MSG)
Additional Resources:
Living Life on Purpose, By Lysa TerKeurst
The Bathtub is Overflowing, but I am Feeling Drained; by Lysa TerKeurst