Stale Bread

What do you do with stale bread?

I often just throw it away, but I was once feeling creative and made some pretty incredible croutons from the stale hamburger buns buried in the back of my refrigerator.

As I munched these crunchy bites, I was thankful that I hadn't given up on the hamburger buns that didn't seem like they had anything left to offer and instead found a way to transform them on top of my salad.

What if I told you that we can be like those croutons?

Paul wrote a letter about this idea of transformation, saying that anyone who is with god gets a fresh start and is created new. Our old life is gone as a new one emerges.

In the beginning, we were created and designed in the image of God. But because of sin, humans often appear less than holy. We make choices based on the desires of our hearts and bodies, rather than on our perfect Creator.

Except for Jesus, who lived perfectly as man in a broken world. The disciples had the benefit of literally walking alongside Him and learning from His example. We now have their words and stories to guide us through those experiences and receive the same guidance.

But when Jesus died, He rose from the grave and told His followers that He was returning to Heaven but promised that they would receive Someone who would remain with them. The Spirit arrived with a grand entrance and continues to remain in this world with each person who places their trust in Him and receives the gift of grace provided through the sacrifice of the cross.

So what does that have to do with croutons?

Just like those hamburger buns, we were created with a purpose, but we can only last so long on our own. These bodies have expiration dates, but the presence of God can transform us and make our lives new. We can go from stale buns to crunch croutons with new life. We can go from broken bodies to eternal beings.

Created by God, saved by Jesus, and transformed in the Spirit.