A New Thing
I admit, I’m a sucker for the makeover shows. It doesn’t matter what kind - home makeovers, fashion makeovers, or even the shows that take a person from drab to fab. I just love to see an amazing transformation. Don’t you?
Many years ago, we “transformed” our family when we added a bouncy little puppy to the mix. Fun, right? Mostly, yes, but there is a bit more to the story…
Let’s just say that it took a good while for our precious new barky addition to get the hang of potty training and healthy chewing patterns. Our little, little dog caused us big, big problems when he chewed up and stained our family room carpet. Accidents happened repeatedly for months and months that seemed like years and years!
Eventually, when he grew into his bladder and learned better doggy habits, I was ready for a makeover of a carpet-kind for my munched on, stained up family room. So, I went to the home improvement store, ordered new carpet, and waited with excitement for installation day.
When new carpet day finally came, I watched the installers painstakingly remove the old flooring layer by layer. First, they pulled back and removed the stained, chewed up carpet. Then they tore out the worn down old pad and put all the nasty, soiled carpet and padding in their van to take to the dump. Next, they cleared away the remaining debris, cleaned the entire area, and installed the fresh flooring. A fluffy new foundation of padding and carpet! It was a beautiful transformation, and I was giddy with gratitude.
The whole process reminded me of this truth: God is all about beautiful transformations.
He is an active, deeply personal, infinitely caring God who restores us on a heart level with makeovers of a masterful kind. When we turn to Him in repentance, He takes the broken, stained areas of our lives away and replaces our mess with a beauty that is far beyond ourselves – the beauty of Christ.
The Bible has a great deal to say about what happens when we turn to God:
“Those who look to him are radiant; they are never covered in shame” (Psalm 34:5).
“Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland” (Isaiah 43:18-19).
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
I’m living proof of God’s grace, of His willingness to forgive and restore ugly, tattered heart places. I don’t write from a platform of perfection, but from a foundation of grace that was finished and established by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Jesus gave His life so that you and I could live beyond our pasts, beyond our disappointments, beyond our biggest mistakes and our deepest pains. He bore a cross so we could be forgiven and made new; so we could have abundant life. Full life. Not a held-back-by-the-stains-and-shames-of-your-past life.
I don’t know where this finds you right now, but God does. He knows and sees everything and loves you like crazy.
As we’ve heard in our most recent sermon series, Joseph figured out the power and freedom of forgiveness too. We all have brokenness that needs fixing and stains that need to be cleaned. We all need a makeover! The good news of the Gospel is simple: when we call out to God and ask for forgiveness of sin because of Jesus Christ - when we lay our messes before Him - He does a new thing! He meets us with mercy, forgives completely and restores with grace.
Are you ready for the Lord to do a new thing in your life today?
~ Gwen Smith is an author, speaker, co-founder of Girlfriends in God and host of the Graceologie podcast.