Savage2Saint Sobriety March 9, 2024

"But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you." - Romans 8:11 (KJV).

This is a powerful verse. Those of us who are saved have the promise of eternal life. The promise that when this mortal life is finished, we will be resurrected straight into eternal life with our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. As much as Paul may have been referring to what happens when we die, I can't help but think of how dead and miserable my life was before I gave it all to Jesus, and how much more abundant my life has become since that day.

I don't believe Paul was only referring to the resurrection that will take place when Jesus returns. Paul was putting all Christians on notice that the same Spirit who raised up Christ from the dead is on standby, ready and willing, to breathe life back into our existing bodies. Paul was delivering a message of hope to a broken world. Hope that we can have life, and have it more abundantly, despite being in a world that is dead from sin.

Broken homes, addiction, depression, anxiety, and emptiness are all products of the world we live in. Look no further than the people walking the streets in your neighborhoods. Look no further than the people you used to hang out with, who are still in their addiction. Life without Jesus is overwhelming. It can be a series of unfortunate events that leave you thinking the only way to escape is through drugs and alcohol. Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28 (NLT). This is your call to have the life you currently live resurrected into a life that isn't heavy and burdensome.

Many of you know about my overdose. How that Jesus stepped into the ambulance and breathed life back into my lungs, but the part that made an even bigger impression on me was two weeks later when I submitted to the Lord. As I promised to do whatever He asked of me, He gave me a glimpse of how He sees me. People didn't trust me with anything. My actions had earned that distrust. I had burnt every bridge I had crossed at that point in my life and was beginning to wonder if there were any more bridges for me to cross. But God...the Lord showed me that nothing I could do could make Him love me anymore or any less. The Lord started showing me that He, and only He, could take my brokenness and make something that He could use out of it. That He could turn my pain into purpose. All I had to do was give Him all the pieces.

As I turned my will over to His, I started changing on the inside. I fell in love with reading my Bible. I fell in love with talking to Him on a regular basis. I began seeing my relationships restored, prayers being answered, and a hopeful expectation for tomorrow that I had not had in a long time. "Life" didn't seem like such a daunting task anymore. I was beginning a brand-new life, because my old life was dead and gone.

As we draw closer to Resurrection Sunday this month, let's remember the time when the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead breathed life into our mortal bodies. Let's give thanks for the Spirit that dwells in us, leads us, challenges us, and protects us. If you haven't experienced Jesus' resurrecting power, then there's no time like the present. Don't spend another day living in misery. Run to the One who can breathe life back into any dead situation! God Bless!