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It's a Process

..."Take off the grave clothes and let him go."
John 11:44

When you become a Christian and Christ lives in you, He changes you from the inside out. But certain experiences in your past can slow you down, keep you bound, and determine how you see yourself. While the Holy Spirit does the initial work, transformation is a process. It doesn't happen overnight; it takes time. When Jesus stood at His friend's grave and called, "Lazarus, come forth," His friend who'd been dead for four days shuffled out, still bound from head to toe like a mummy. Notice, his old grave clothes which were a major hindrance to him, didn't just fall off the minute Jesus called him. No, Jesus told his friends "Unwrap him and let him go!" and with their help Lazarus was freed to pursue a new life. The Bible says, "anyone in Christ is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (see 2 Corinthians 5:17). When Jesus saves you, you emerge from the tomb wrapped in the grave clothes of your past. What past? a) Negative influences and thought patterns b) low self-esteem c) old addictions and habits d) destructive relationships. That's why God sends people to love you, unwrap you and release you into your potential. It's important that you identify these relationships and build your life around them. It's also why you need to develop an intimate relationship with God through prayer and Bible study. Through His Word you get an accurate picture of how He sees you. Through prayer you get to know His heart and start seeing yourself through His eyes. When that happens, you'll never see yourself the same way again!

Prayer
Heavenly Father, thank you for the people in my life that you have sent to "unwrap" me from my old grave clothes to help me become the person you have saved me to be. In Jesus' Name, Amen.