226 – A New School Year, A Clean Slate

#faithbites #faithjourney slate

Tonight, we went to registration night for my eldest. We reconnected with old friends, met her teacher, signed up for activities, and had a good time. All the teachers, students, and parents were excited for the new year. Then you feel the energy in the school. So many new possibilities for the new year. It’s infectious.

Every fall, especially since I work on a college campus, I get excited. I see the new students beginning the next chapter of their lives. The anticipation, nervousness, and excitement are overwhelming. I wish I could bottle that feeling. Your old life is gone and you get to start a new one. In many ways, it is a clean slate, a fresh start.

In life, we don’t get many fresh starts. Getting married, moving to a new city, starting a new job, or making a choice to believe in the Lord are some of the times when we have a clean slate.

I am amazed that every day can be a clean slate through forgiveness.

Scripture on Starting Anew

•  He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” – Revelation 21:5
• Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come:The old has gone, the new is here – 2 Corinthians 5:17
• We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. – Romans 6:4

Reflection

The scriptures above tell us both that we are a new creation in God and that he will make everything new. Being baptized or Born-Again isn’t the only way we get a clean slate. We have the ability to be forgiven EVERY DAY. When we truly confess our sins, we are forgiven. I pray for forgiveness every day, sometimes more than once a day.

Christ gives a clean slate every time we ask for it. While this forgiveness may not feel the same to us as the newness of a school year or the other activities we mentioned, this clean slate is eternal. The high of a new school year fades as summer turns into fall. The newness of job fades as the daily grind moves on. In forgiveness, we have this slate every time we confess.

I love the high of daily life and experiences, but knowing my soul is protected and clean in the Lord, outweighs the daily experience.

Charge

Have you felt that excitement, that infectious nature of something new? How do you share that with others? Think about how that made you feel, then think about how cleansing your soul would feel. Ask for it and you will have a clean slate every time.

Lord, help me to be excited about your forgiveness. Help me to realize how gracious you are in giving me a clean slate.