By Tom Shanklin

I threw away my old black sweater last night.

It’s been around a long time. In recent years, no one has seen me wear it, other than my family members. It was what you call “threadbare.” It had some holes, but mostly the fabric was worn thin by the multitude of washings. The pull tab on the zipper fell off some time ago, but I could still pinch it on the front and back in order to pull it up and down.

It was old, tired, and worn out, but extremely comfortable. So comfortable that I’ve been tempted to pull it out of the trash several times this morning. 

Sometimes our way of life can become like that sweater—old and tired, but comfortable. We get used to the same patterns, walking the same paths, and thinking the same old thoughts.

It’s time for something new. We need a fresh anointing and a new infusion of the life of God. As the Psalmist says, “You have anointed me with fresh oil.” (Psalm 92:10 MEV)

I believe God is not in a rut. He is full of fresh, creative ideas every day. He says:

See, I will do a new thing, now it shall spring forth; shall you not be aware of it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. (Isaiah 43:19 MEV)

It’s time for some of us to burn our old sweaters. It’s time to take a fresh, new look at things and chart a new course. 

Yes, the old way is comfortable. We’ve become accustomed to the old pattern, the old way of doing things. Change is not easy … but it’s necessary.

I’ve been encouraging some of the churches we work with to find new ways to reach the next generation.

They are wonderful churches. Full of seasoned saints. They have sound doctrine and wonderful fellowship. They are treasure troves chock-full of abundant spiritual resources. 

But they need fresh ideas!

I challenged the people of one church to ask the Lord the question, “What do we need to do to attract young families and to keep them?” This is a question not only for the leaders of the churches, but also for each individual. 

“So, Lord, how can we reach young families? What do we need to change? Who can we reach out to?” 

This is a good question for Tom and Susan as well. How can we reach more young people and ignite the next generation with the fire of God? How can we pass on the knowledge of decades of life, ministry, and time spent with God to a new generation that desperately needs what we have learned?

It’s a good question! It’s an important question. The future of our church or our ministry may depend on us hearing the answer. 

I believe that the Lord has the answer, don’t you? He wants to answer, and He is well able to answer such a question. 

But to receive an answer, we must ask in faith, as we are told in James:

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all men liberally and without criticism, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, without wavering. For he who wavers is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed with the wind. (James 1:5-6 MEV)

To receive the wisdom of God in any situation, we must believe that He will speak to us. We cannot say that the situation is impossible. 

And God will not chastise us for asking too many questions. He desires to guide us and show us the way forward So, go ahead and ask, and expect Him to speak to you.

But when He speaks to you, are you ready to follow His direction? Are you willing to embrace a new pattern? Are you willing to change the way you do church? Are we willing to, God forbid, adopt a new style of music, or perhaps have a mixture of the old and new? 

Are you willing to shorten your services? Or to include prayer for people’s needs as part of your Sunday service? Or perhaps find room in the budget for a children’s minister or youth minister? Or how about inviting that family next door to church? These are just examples. But the point is, are you willing to throw out that old, threadbare, comfortable sweater and embrace the new at God’s direction? 

It’s not just about doing something new for the sake of doing something new. It’s about finding the will of the Creator God! He will refresh our vision and give us a new sense of purpose. He will rejuvenate and activate our ministries for His glory.

Some of us need to change our sweaters. For you, this may mean a job change, a move, or a new diet. But more than anything, it’s about a new attitude. It’s about aligning yourself with the will and purposes of God. And it requires getting a fresh word from the Lord. 

Israel lived on manna from heaven in the wilderness. The manna fell like dew on the ground each morning. They were told to gather just enough for the day and not to try to store up for the next day. When they tried to live on yesterday’s manna, it “bred worms and stank.” Only on the Sabbath were they allowed to eat yesterday’s manna, and only then “did it not stink, nor was there any worm in it.” (Exodus 16)

We need to go out in the morning and gather some fresh manna. We need to spend some time with the Author of the Abundant Life. We need a fresh word from God. We need to hear what God is saying today! Yes, it’s the same story. It’s the same Gospel, but He’ll bring it to you in a fresh new way, adapted for your life now! May God give us all grace to let go of the old, threadbare way of thinking and embrace the new.

Be blessed, my friends!