Tavern Talk #80 - The Smell of Something New

It’s that time of year when everything smells new. New school year. New football season. (Roll Tide, anyone?) New job, new apartment, new relationship, new business venture, new backpack, maybe even a new hairdo. There’s excitement. Energy. Possibility. And maybe, let’s be honest, some nerves, too.

But here’s the thing about newness: it wears off. That new dorm smell? Replaced by laundry and leftover pizza. That thrilling first-week-of-school feeling? Replaced by homework and alarm clocks. The shine dulls. The routine sets in. That’s just how life goes.

Our dogs certainly know when something smells new!

And yet—there’s one kind of newness that doesn’t have to fade.

When we choose Christ, we become new. Not just slightly upgraded. Reborn. Refreshed. Realigned. It’s not just a feeling, though it often feels pretty amazing—it’s a shift in direction. In values. In how we see ourselves and the world around us. But like everything else, that new Christian feeling can wear off too. Not because God changes, but because we do. We drift. We forget. We fall back into old patterns, old perspectives.

The good news? Unlike that new car smell, the newness of life in Christ can be restored. All it takes is asking. Seeking. Turning back.

If you’ve never had that feeling—you can. Today. Right now. You just have to want it. Ask. Pray. Knock.

And if you’ve had it, but lost it, good news again: Jesus hasn’t moved. The door’s still there. He’s still on the other side, ready to welcome you back into that fresh perspective, that hopeful energy, that Kingdom work.

So breathe deep. Smell the newness. And if you’re missing it—go get it. It’s not far. Just knock.

Blessings.

If you have any questions about what it takes to be a new Christian or a renewed Christian, or need help taking that first step, we’re here for you. Just reach out to us at The Tavern. It’s confidential. And it’s easier with a friend.

Additional Reading:

Matthew 7:7-8

Ezekiel 36:26

2 Corinthians 5:17

Galatians 6:15

Ephesians 4:22–24

Colossians 3:9–10

Psalm 40:3

Lamentations 3:22–23

A Blessing from Kate Bowler (katebowler.com) for living without control God, I come to you as I am.

It is all I have, really.

And the next one i'm conscious of will be the same.

I can feel the way I move,

moment to moment, without the comfort of "solutions."

It seems wild to me now how I imagined

any once-and-for-all cure for this,

or a master plan to ensure things

will work out.

But truth be told, that's always been my secret hope.

So, Lord, let's try again.

I'm begging for a new plan.

I want a plan that is an "unplan."

I must keep moving and planning,

trying and changing,

knitting my days together even as they unravel.

So can we do this together?

Remind me to pray: come Lord

and quiet the worry.

I step, and you stead me.

I give, and you keep my hands open.

I act, and you fortify me with the courage

to try and try and try again.

This life is uncertain, Lord,

but your love is not.

You tell the story of my life

regardless of how little I know

about how in ends, except to say

you were there since the beginning

and you appear on every page.