“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17

None of us are exempt from struggle. We are all in this battle together. The enemy loves to isolate you, making you believe that no one else is going through what you are facing. He whispers lies that you are the only one wrestling with that temptation, that sin, that pain. But the truth is, you are not alone.

In a moment of honesty, I had to admit I needed help. I needed to go in a different direction. So in January of 2024, I checked myself into a five-day therapy program in Kalamazoo, Michigan. For five days, from morning to afternoon, I sat with someone who had walked the same path as a pastor and church leader. Together, we worked through past traumas, struggles, and depression. And let me tell you, God met me in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

While I was there, something caught my attention. All over the city, I kept seeing the same sign. It was outside an oil change shop called Uncle Ed’s. The sign read, “New Year, New Oil.” At first, I thought it was just one location, but I soon realized it was a franchise. Everywhere I went, I saw the same message: New Year, New Oil.

That phrase stuck with me. When a car comes in for an oil change, the old oil is drained out so that new oil can be poured in. There is no way to run a vehicle on old, dirty oil and expect it to perform well. Something has to be emptied so that something fresh can be poured in.

That is exactly what God was doing in me. He was emptying out what needed to go-old wounds, old struggles, old ways of thinking-so that He could fill me with something new. His healing. His presence. His power.

Maybe that is where you are today. Maybe you have been running on empty, carrying things that God never intended for you to hold onto. Maybe it is time to let Him do a deep work in you, to empty out what is weighing you down and fill you with something fresh.

God is not finished with you. He is ready to do something new. The question is, will you let Him? Will you step into the oil change bay of His presence and let Him replace the old with something greater? It’s time for some new oil.