A New Life, Not Just a Better One
In 1949, a young preacher named Billy Graham stood under a tent in Los Angeles, preaching night after night. The crowds grew, but Billy felt inadequate, wrestling with self-doubt. One night, alone in the woods with his Bible, he placed it on a stump and cried out to God: “Lord, I don’t understand everything in this book, but by faith, I accept it as Your Word.” That surrender changed everything.
Billy didn’t just improve his life, he laid it down. And God gave him a new one.
The Apostle Paul expresses that very surrender in one of the most personal verses of the New Testament:
“I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”
Galatians 2:20 (NKJV)
Reflection:
Paul is not talking about trying harder or turning over a new leaf, he’s talking about dying. His old identity, ambitions, and sins were nailed to the cross with Jesus. What rose in their place was a life powered by Christ Himself.
Many people today want Jesus to fix their lives, but Paul reminds us: Jesus didn’t come to patch you up, He came to put the old you to death and raise you with new purpose.
Are you still trying to live for Jesus, or are you letting Jesus live through you?
Christianity isn’t behavior modification; it’s spiritual transformation. When we surrender, we don’t lose our lives—we gain real life.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for giving Yourself for me. I surrender my old self, my pride, my striving, and my sin. Let me live not in my own strength, but by faith in You. Fill my life with Your Spirit so that the world may see You in me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Challenge:
- Lay Something Down: Identify one area of your life where self is still in control, offer it to Jesus today.
- Carry the Cross: Reflect today on what it means to be “crucified with Christ.” It’s not always easy, but it’s always freeing.
- Live by Faith: Start your day with a bold prayer: “Jesus, live through me today. Speak through me. Love through me.”
Date: Thursday, 7th August 2025
By: Evng Ps. Kenneth Nandoha
Heal Grace Ministries
Web: https://healgraceministries.org
Prayerline: 0787767786
Support: Stanbic Bank | Acc No: 9030021386102 | Name: Heal Grace Ministries