As a child, did you have a favorite blanket? Or, maybe you had a child that had a favorite blanket? A blanket that was needed to sleep or assist with anxiety. A blanket that if left somewhere, would cause great turmoil.

As adults, I believe the past becomes that comfortable blanket we had as a child. The past is what we cling to because it provides us comfort. The past is the secure and known.

The future on the other hand can cause anxiety and stress. The unknown of the future makes us feel insecure and scared.

In Matthew 9:14-17, Jesus is defending his disciples when he is questioned about fasting, but it goes even deeper regarding putting new wine into old wineskins. In verse 17, Jesus says “and no one puts new wine into old wine skins.”

The same is true for Christianity. Light and darkness cannot mix. Once we are saved, we can’t keep living the same way before we were saved. After we accept Christ, we are made new.

2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are new.” Our lives should represent change. Our life is a new beginning.

Just as in Jesus day, some of us resist change. We hold on to our traditions, philosophies and opinions. When we resist change, we are missing out on the blessings that God is sending us through His Son Jesus Christ.

When we are intentional in studying God’s word and applying it to our lives, we will receive the blessings God has in store for us. The key words are “be intentional.” We can either go through life, or grow through life. When we gothrough life, we let others influence us. When we growthrough life and study God’s word, we reap the reward of His blessings.

Change in this life is inevitable. We can’t control or stop change from happening. What we can control, is what we do with the change. We can be intentional in growing our relationship with God and the plan He has for our future.

Is there a past you need to get rid of today…old habits, traditions, attitudes, friendships or relationships? Trade them in for new ones and press into God’s presence and do what is right in His sight.

Remember, you can’t mix good with bad, dark with light or new wine with old wineskins. You can’t fulfill all that God has planned for you if you are not allowing change to take place in your life.

Change is inevitable, my friends. Growth is intentional. Be intentional in all things!

Love and blessings, 

Laura Pedersen

P.S. I invite you to consider joining myself and other sister’s in Christ as a Women of Faith Ambassador!  You can find out more about becoming a Women of Faith Ambassador by clicking here.  

Laura Pedersen is a Voice with Women of Faith and assists with the Women of Faith Ambassador program. She is also a John Maxwell certified speaker and coach who has worked over 25 years in the field of human resources, organizational, and leadership training and development. Laura is also an interior decorator and owns a window covering business called Gotcha Covered of Siouxland.

After losing her youngest sister, Sara, Laura and her family were blessed with the release of Sara’s book, Choose Joy: Finding Hope and Purpose When Life Hurts. The book is a compilation of Sara’s God inspired message of Choose Joy. Laura is the president of the Choose Joy Foundation, which was established in Sara’s memory.

As a speaker, Laura shares Sara’s legacy along with sharing her own life journey through divorce, loss, and breast cancer. Laura’s message focuses on how the choices we make can transform our life.

Laura lives in Sioux City, IA with her husband Jeff. They have 3 married children and are blessed with 6 grandchildren. In their spare time they love to travel to North Carolina and Texas to visit family.