“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.”
– Anatole France
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
Consider the lilies of the field… Matt 6:28
“All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.”
– Anatole France
thedailylily.com 
Looks like Anatole France was quoting Dr. Luke. “Jesus said to all of them, “If people want to follow me, they must give up the things they want. They must be willing to give up their lives daily to follow me.” Luke 9:23 NCV
Yes! That’s what came to me,too, as I read this quote from the famed French poet and journalist, as you have quoted above, Sara. But something else came to me, also.
Paul writes in Romans 10:18, “But I say, didn’t they hear? Yes, most certainly, their sound went out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. ”
The Word of GOD has traversed the whole earth and even the secular world has evidence of the TRUTH of the Scriptures, the Deeds of Creation and the BRAIN/MIND of Christ. Paul was very emphatic about that. And again, “Unless a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it cannot bring forth fruit.” “I am crucified with Christ nevertheless I live, but not I but Christ who liveth in me.”
Hopefully we leave the melancholy when we leave our life to follow Him and pursue His life otherwise it would seem we have a divided heart and probably haven’t parted with our ‘self’ to wholly follow Him anyhow.
Paul doesn’t seem too melancholy here after his decision to leave himself behind: “Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant—dog dung. I’ve dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by him.” Philippians 3:8
melancholy |ˈmelənˌkälē|
noun
a deep, pensive, and long-lasting sadness.
• another term for melancholia (as a mental condition).
• historical another term for black bile .
Sounds like the leave our old life is what we have discussed on thedailylily as twisted mind. I picture twisted ropes which are covered in black mold or the black bile as noted by the historical definition.
Sounds like we should praise God when we leave each decaying rope of our old mind behind and shout for JOY we are are on rode named Straight. (In Sara’s poem – The Crowded Mind.
The scripture says in Ephesians 4:24
International Standard Version (©2008)
and to clothe yourselves with the new nature, which was created according to God’s image in righteousness and true holiness.
It seems to take a life time and daily focusing as we strive to change our nature to take on the character of our Father God. A scripture of HOPE if we take one step at a time to change.
Thus stepping out trusting God all the way in the process
New Living Translation (©2007) says –
“But blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence.
Also the above reminds me of Lot’s wife when leaving Sodom she was told not to look back. She walked awhile and she suddenly disobeyed and turned and looked back and she immediately turned to a pillar of salt. She looked back to the old and became a stone without life when she could have chosen life and what God wanted for her. This tells me don’t allow melancholy to take over your mind or stone you will become, but walk forward in what God’s wants for you – a new nature. Perhaps that is why the salt stone is there today to remind us of this.
Reading the definition of melancholy as given here by Rena, the thought of truth pops into view; how often we want to carry our old black bile as arsenal for our unclean lips to utter when we feel offended. Rena’s right, take the road called Straight and leave the offenses behind because they cannot travel the road called Straight. Therefore, they stay stuck in the ruts on an old twisted muddy road!
And the story of Lot’s wife’s looking back reminds me of the Scripture:
“No man, having put his hand to the plow and LOOKING BACK is fit for the Kingdom of God..” Don’t look back and muse or conjure up old reminiscence of or over the past. Paul says, “Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
and I LOVE this one,
“Remember not the former things, nor consider the things of old. Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.”____2 Corinthians 5:17
So maybe ol’ Anatole got part of it right. 🙂
He did say, “ALL changes, even the most longed for,…” I think the longed for is the forefront of his truth!
The Lord promises to give us the desires of our hearts if we take delight in Him.(Psalm 37:4) So it would seem that if we fulfill the conditions of this verse and really desire and long for the change it takes so that others only see Christ in us, then hopefully we will see change happen.
Sara teaches over and over in different words and ways to “reinvent yourself”…and Paul says it like this.” This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a NEW person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!”
What a thrill! To be a new person, renewed in the spirit of our minds, renewed in attitude, in perception, in sensitivity, in compassion, in patience, endurance, diligence, In forgiveness, in charity, in LOVE. This is ours. Let us not receive God’s Grace, in vain. Let us receive God’s favor AND CHANGE!