New life comes at the price of death. It’s only through dying to the old we get to fully embrace the new. And we miss God’s best when we continue to hold on to what has been rather than letting go to become all he’s inviting us into. We must die in order to live.
Nature itself teaches us the truth of this principle. The new life of spring comes after the death of winter. And this pattern repeats every year.
And it’s a pattern that plays out in our life and relationships as well.
For instance, we must die to childhood in order to enjoy life as a young adult. And eventually we must also die to being a young adult to accept the ever-increasing levels of maturity and responsibility throughout the rest of life.
Singleness must also come to an end to enter a mature marriage. And soon we must give up the honeymoon phase as well to grow ever deeper into mature love.
Likewise, something must die as new kids enter the home and when they leave. And either way, the death opens the door to a new season of life.
Whatever it looks like, whether it’s at work or in friendships, moving from one community to the next, or even growing in our life with God, we must regularly die in order to live.
In fact, Christ reminds us we lose our life when we try to hang on to it. But it’s when we give it up for his sake that we actually find it.
In the end, our life is filled with repeating patterns of death and resurrection.
And, to be sure, death is not generally a pleasant or welcomed experience. But it remains the path to life.
Follow the way of Christ and courageously face death in its many forms – confidently knowing new life waits on the other side.
Photo by Corey Young on Unsplash
