# Living the New You At the core of it all, understand this You are not your own. God owns you. And that makes you a steward—not a controller of your life, but a manager of what He has given. ## How It Started I didn’t start this year with everything figured out. No clear direction. No solid plan. I was thinking—a lot. And somehow, in that space, God found me. There was a guy who gave me the advice of the year. He said: > “It will be hard. Yes. But remember to meditate—and avoid abusing anything.” That stuck. From there, I began building: - First, identity - Then, discipline - Now… living it I had to make a decision: **His way or mine.** Mine wasn’t working. So I chose His. That is why the story of Abraham’s servant searching for a wife for Isaac is such a strong picture for this journey. The servant did not move by feelings alone. He prayed, watched, listened, and stayed within the principles he had been given until the mission was complete. He did not rush just because it looked right—he stayed aligned until the assignment was complete. **Living the new you means staying submitted to God’s direction—even when easier options appear.** ## The Foundation To live the “new you,” you need three things: 1. **Identity** — Who you are (image of God, child of God) 2. **Discipline** — Doing what you said you would do 3. **Obedience** — Living out what God says Now the real question becomes: **How do you actually live it?** ## Let’s Be Honest - It’s Not Easy Let’s not pretend. It’s not easy being disciplined. But it’s also not easy being your old self. **You choose your hard.** > “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace…” > — Hebrews 12:11 (NIV) ## What It Feels Like Being the New You As you step into this new identity, expect this: - You’ll have a lot to do - You’ll hear many voices and opinions - Not all advisers will be real - You may struggle to know who is genuine - You might feel like showing off small wins - You might get excited and forget your purpose - You may compromise slightly under pressure You’ll also notice something strange: **You’ll start wanting less noise.** - Less social media - Less distractions - Less unnecessary conversations You’ll begin to quit things—not out of laziness, but because you realize they were never important. ## You Will Need Structure You can’t live this life randomly. You’ll need: - Routines - Systems - Adjustments as you grow Your life will become more intentional. ## The Core Posture - A Broken Heart I love Christians because we are called to live with broken hearts—not broken in defeat, but broken in humility. A broken heart is a heart that stays open before God. > “Search me, God, and know my heart…” — Psalm 139:23–24 > “Create in me a pure heart…” — Psalm 51:10 A “broken heart” doesn’t mean sadness—it means humility and openness before God. ### Why this matters: You can’t fix what you refuse to face. Most of us struggle because we avoid looking inward. > “The heart is deceitful above all things…” — Jeremiah 17:9 (NIV) Remove the log in your own eye first. Before judging anyone else, deal with what is happening within you. ## Who Should Influence You? > “Follow me as I follow Christ.” There should always be Christ in who you follow. Don’t be mentored by people who aren’t living what you want to become. See the fruit first. If: - You’re not changing - You’re not becoming more like Christ Then something is wrong: - Either the mentor - Or your obedience And sometimes—you need to walk away. ## Seek Wisdom (But Wisely) - Learn from God - Learn from Scripture - Learn from books But don’t overload yourself. **Too many voices = confusion.** Even “good” content can become noise. ## Challenges You Will Face ### 1. Going Back If things don’t align quickly, or you lack clear hope, you’ll feel like returning to your old self. **Don’t.** ### 2. Internal Conflict You’ll constantly battle: - Your desires - God’s will The question is not whether conflict will come. **The question is how you will respond.** ## How to Live the New You ### 1. Have a Broken Heart Stay humble enough to be corrected. Stay soft enough to be led. Pride makes people unteachable. Brokenness keeps you near God. ### 2. Ask the Right Question > Is this my will or God’s? Not every good thing is God’s thing for you right now. ### 3. Obey What You Have Heard > “We must pay the most careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.” — Hebrews 2:1 Delayed obedience is still disobedience. The second choice matters. Wake up… then wake up again. ### 4. Stay in Restoration Mode Living the new you is not a one-time event. It is a life of returning, correcting, and realigning. This includes: - **Self-examination** — like the prodigal son - **Brokenness** — coming before God honestly (Psalm 51) - **Seeking God** — even when it costs you (Joseph’s example) - **Valuing truth** — Proverbs 23:23 - **Praying for restoration** — Psalm 34:17, Jeremiah 33:3, Acts 12:2–5 ## Daily Practices That Change Everything - Pray daily - Read the Word daily Prayer is not just speaking—it’s also listening. Hide God’s Word in you so you know: - What to pray - What to avoid Meditate on: - Your ways - Your words - God’s Word Limit noise. Consumption must not replace creation. Have fewer, more focused mentors. Do not depend on people more than on God. ## Where Obedience Becomes Practical Live one day at a time. Do what is required today. Do not carry tomorrow’s pressure with today’s strength. Define yourself with your new identity. You are not who you used to be. Avoid procrastination. Do it for God, not people. ## Communicate Clearly If something matters: - Say it clearly - Explain why > “A gentle answer turns away wrath…” — Proverbs 15:1 > “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out…” — Ephesians 4:29 > “Let your conversation be full of grace…” — Colossians 4:6 Speak less. Speak wisely. But silence alone is not wisdom. ## Handle Wins and Losses Quickly Do not stay too long: - In celebration - In grief Stay focused. Even when God gives options—choose Him. Do not abandon principles because something looks promising. ## Do Not Go Back Do not return to what God delivered you from. Do not adjust your life to fit what pulls you away from obedience. Remember: Something can look good… and still be disobedience. > “Not my will, but Yours be done.” — Matthew 26:39 That is the pattern. ## Final Thought Even Jesus obeyed. He was found where He was supposed to be—doing what He was supposed to do. So the question is: **When people look for you… will they find you living the new you?** Jesus obeyed His parents, and when they searched for Him, He was found in the temple. That is the picture of the new you: - Obedient - Rooted - In the right place The new you is not about pretending. It is not about performance. It is about becoming someone who does God’s will—one decision at a time. So: - Keep choosing the second choice - Keep obeying - Keep returning to God - Keep living in discipline It is hard, yes. But later, it becomes: **Peace. Righteousness. Clarity.** And that is the life of the new you. --- If this resonated with you, share it with a friend who might need it too. And if you're also on this journey of identity, friendship, faith, and emotional growth, stay connected. There’s more coming soon — especially around friendship, attachment, expectations, and what healthy connection actually looks like. <div align="left"> [](https://shikandaimmanuel.vercel.app/blog) [](https://www.youtube.com/@BeJustThat) </div> — **Be just that**
