Renewed in Christ!
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:10-12
This is a prayer that we need to pray when we are discouraged, frustrated, or exhausted. We must learn to be honest with ourselves and with God about where we really are, accepting that we will fail, doubt, and want to give up especially when things are not going our way.
This is normal for the human condition because we do not truly belong on this earth. There is incongruence in our spirit because we are pulled in two different directions. On one hand, we strive to be popular, smart, beautiful, and successful for the world. On the other hand, we strive to be kind, pure, noble, and spiritual for God.
We realize that we can’t have it both ways, and we have to let go of the process in order for Christ to work in us. We need His help to renew our spirits. We also need His strength, creativity, and power to create something pure in us. We have nothing to offer the process. When we really do “see” the darkness we have without Christ and our need for Him, we realize that we deserve to be separated from Him.
God chooses to restore us, renew us, and deliver us instead. He sustains us by His grace and love. He restores our joy, reminds us that we are saved, and grants us the willingness to lean on Him. In this process of growth and change, we must admit our need for Him, ask for His help, and accept how He answers those prayers.
Purity is something that we need in our spiritual life. Without a “cleansing” by God, our hearts and minds get messy and cluttered. When we pray for God to truly cleanse our spirits, we are asking to look at the parts in our lives that need to be changed, refined, or removed. This is a step of courage and humility to be willing to encounter this process. God uses this to restore our priorities, peace, and well-being.
Take away: Lord, clean my heart and make my heart ready for You and Your plan. Help me to be willing and able to embrace whatever you have for me.