Every day is a new life!

The other night, just before I went to bed, I felt “convicted” again by the Holy Spirit in so many ways. I felt convicted to praise God more and more in my praying. I felt convicted to spend time reflecting, to take inventory of my actions and lack of action, to confess my sins — not just Sunday mornings, but every day.

I felt convicted to give thanks more. I felt convicted to ask, to seek, to knock, to pray more often for myself and others and for our world so loved by God. And most of all, I was convicted of the reality of God’s amazing grace — convinced once again of what I have believed for as long as I can remember, “Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me!”

Being “convicted” of something — in a criminal court, for example — is usually a bad thing. But, think about it, for a criminal who has never acknowledged that what she or he had been doing was wrong, hurtful, or harmful a "conviction" just might be a moment of grace. At its root, “to convict” means to refute. When my harmful, hurtful actions (or, my harmful LACK of action) is "refuted" I experience a positive moment of conviction. There are, of course, many stories of persons “convicted” of the wrong direction in their lives following their official “conviction."

In Christ, being convicted or “convinced” by the Spirit of God is always a moment of grace because the Judge — Jesus Christ — is our Savior. It seems like a paradox, doesn’t it? The “moment of conviction” for me was not a moment when I felt “convicted” in the sense of feeling guilty or worthless. Indeed, it was just the opposite. It was a moment of being born again again, a moment of grace, a moment of renewal. It was a moment when I remembered again, “Yes, every day is a new life!”

As I reflect on this moment of renewal today, I am thinking once again of the promise of baptism.

In baptism God promises by grace alone: to forgive our sins; to adopt us into the Body of Christ, the Church; to send the Holy Spirit daily to renew and cleanse us; and to resurrect us to eternal life...

Through baptism Christ calls us to new obedience: to love and trust God completely; to forsake the evil of the world; and to live a new and holy life.

Yet, when we fall into sin, we must not despair of God’s mercy, nor continue in sin, for baptism is the sign and seal of God’s eternal covenant of grace with us.

Sometimes I think I should read those good words from the liturgy every morning, if only to hear again and again — each day — the truth and reality of God’s eternal covenant of grace with us; and to be reminded of God’s promise "to send the Holy Spirit daily to renew and cleanse us...” Oh, my, what a promise!

Yes, every day is a new life!