Spill the Wine

Do you have that one friend you don’t talk to everyday but when you finally get a chance to, you immediately pick up where you left off? It’s like no amount of time can affect your friendship because your connection with that person runs deep. I have a friend like that, she’s incredible. I had the privilege of talking with her the other night and as we spoke over the phone, this goofy yet beautiful conversation started to overflow. Here are some things I took away from our late night talk: We desperately miss overpriced coffee and target runs, college is hard but we’re getting through it, and...Jesus is pouring out new wine. 

Before we go any further, let’s pause and look at Luke 5:37-39 really quick. At the end of Luke chapter 5, Jesus illustrates His new ways by saying, “And who pours new wine into an old wineskin? If someone did, the old wineskin would burst and the new wine would be lost. New wine must always be poured into new wineskins. Yet you say, ‘The old ways are better,’ and you refuse to even taste the new that I bring.” So what is Jesus getting at here? He’s saying that His new ways can’t fit into old traditional practices because His ways are so radically new. He uses the idea of a “new wineskin” to illustrate the change and newness of His teachings and life. You see, Jesus didn’t fit the norm and He didn’t conform to the ways of the world. Instead, He boldly turns away from it and leaves behind the old ways of life to live a new, radical one. 

What do you think of when you hear the word new? Do you feel uneasy? Maybe nervous about the unknown that the “new” brings forth? I think most of us can agree that anything “new” makes us hesitant about what is to come. Over the past few weeks I’ve been thinking about this idea of new wine and what it would look like to have it overflow throughout us. What would it look like if we left our old, worldly lives behind, to live the new life Jesus is calling us to? In a lot of ways, we are leaving our old lives behind. I believe that this pandemic is going to change everything- in the best and most radical way. The old lives we once lived are being replaced by new ones.

As my friend and I were talking over the phone about all the changes in our lives, we found ourselves talking about the new routines and habits that have grown from this season. A moment later, my friend held up a painting over our facetime call and in the most excited voice asked if I liked it. I couldn’t believe how amazing it was- A true masterpiece. She continued to share more about the new areas of life Jesus has brought her to and told me about the abundant love that has been poured out between her and her mom. My heart was filled by her testimony of the Father’s love. My friend explained that this time away from the world has brought her to new areas of life she’s grown a passion for, and pointed out that if it weren’t for this time she would have never discovered all of these new things. I agreed with her and noticed that all of these new things, both good and bad, are growing us. Looking back, my friend and I are not the same people we were when we met. We’ve grown out of the women we used to be, the ones who strived for the world’s approval, and into the women Jesus is calling us to be. This is a process though and we’re still growing into our new lives, and I think we will continue to grow until we reach the other side of Heaven. 

We have to face a hard truth- The world will never be the same again and neither will our lives. The old ways we used to live have ceased and we are left with thinking about the new. Earlier I asked you how you felt about new things, and after sharing the newness my friend has discovered, I hope you feel excited for what’s to come. After this is all over, we can desperately try to hold onto our old lives or we can embrace the new ones Jesus is calling us to. I know the new can be scary, but what if the unknown produces a masterpiece- Just like it did with my friend?  This week I challenge you to ask Jesus where He is pouring out new wine in your life. Maybe it’s in a relationship, project or routine. New wine looks different for all of us- but all of Jesus's new ways are good.

Friends I hope you have a beautiful week and I can't wait to see and hear about the new wine Jesus is pouring out of you!