New

That little three letter word, "new" is something that we as humans, and especially we as Americans seem to be so obsessed with.  Why new?  What's the big deal?  Why is it that we always have to have the newest car, clothes, music, or have the newest technology?  This is a concept that seems especially relevant when dealing with the New Year.  We want to start this year off new, because last year was too sad, inefficient, gluttonous, lame, or just boring.  We're not satisfied with last year, so this year will be different…right?  So where does this obsession come from?  Why is it that we never seem satisfied with what we have? 

Well, there are a number of different fields of thought.  Many feel it's because we're just generally greedy people always looking for more.  I could agree with that.  There's really no good reason that I need a new iPod…I just want a bigger/better one because I like progress.  Some feel that it's because we are overly competitive people and we just like to keep up with the Joneses.  We just like the appearance of being successful, rich, smart, wonderful, or winners of the earthly game of "Who's got the most and best stuff" (just to let you know…that game always ends worse than Monopoly…someone is always upset and disappointed).  I could agree with that, too.  For a while this was a fuel for me in buying a house, and as we can see, so many people fell into the trap of bad loans (can we call them loan sharks or is that inappropriate?) just so they could have as much (or more) than their friends and loved ones.  For now…I enjoy listening to my old iPod in my apartment. 

Okay…so new is bad, right?  No, not at all.  Greed is bad.  Coveting is bad.  But new…there's something beautiful and eternal about new.  New is something that whispers to our soul and brings us joy.  Why else would we seek new so passionately?  You might be reading this thinking that you're okay, because you don't get caught up in all that "new" stuff.  Maybe you have shoes older than me and they're still working out for you just fine.  New stinks!  Well, kudos on the shoes, but not on the attitude.  I think that a passion for seeking something new is healthy and vital for the Christian walk.  Healthy?!?  Yeah, healthy.  Like I said, greed is bad, coveting is bad.  And we should also know that satisfaction with mediocrity is bad just as much as being satisfied with only having new earthly things is bad…wanting more out of life is beautiful…satisfaction with holiness is what God wants out of us. 

You see, we're broken, hurting, and fallen creatures.  We're stuck lugging around this old self around like it's last year's iPod, shirt, or car.  It's not as good as the new self that we know is out there.  Unfortunately as great and bountiful as the shopping opportunities are in Southern California…the new edition of our self can only be found in one place…in Christ.  I think that our longing and passion for all things new here in the world is simply just evidence of our soul craving something new…and something long lasting…something that stays new all the time.  We want dust-free dining sets, self-making beds, shoes that don't scuff, self-washing cars, the infinite iPod, and the clothes that will always be in style.  This obsession of newness isn't something fueled by greed and coveting…it's our souls crying out to us for something new…something whole because everything else just seems incomplete.  Unfortunately, that message gets lost in translation and we seek out new on our own and we use other sinners as benchmarks for what is both new and good. 

I think that especially this time of year when we have just gotten our credit card bills from the Christmas season we need to reexamine what our souls are truly craving for.  They are not seeking out clothes, iPods, or a new car.  Those things will only leave us wanting more…they won't satisfy us.  Our souls are craving something bigger…eternal…and new.  Our souls spit out mediocrity and temporal newness like it's Chinese food that's been hanging around the back of your fridge for about a month.  Good thing Jesus knows our soul.  He knows the eternal cravings that our soul obsesses over.  This is what Christ wants to give us.  He wants us to have the new that is so new that it never goes out of style…He wants to give us salvation.  He wants to remove that old, ratty, out of style self that we lug around and He is going to hook us up with the latest model…the perfect model…He calls it "The Saint".  So during this "new" year…listen to what your soul is crying out for…and seek out new in the one place that can truly offer it.  I pray that your new year is filled with the newness of Jesus Christ, and that your soul gets everything that it craves for.