A New Paint Job

“Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

We are in the process of having our house painted which we have put off far too long, partly because we knew the cost would be great and the interruptions would be frustrating. Our house had gotten to the point of peeled paint, rotten wood and overall poor appearance. I didn’t realize the work that went into the prepping of painting a home. The painter’s first day I was anticipating portions of the home being beautifully transformed and was shocked when I came home to find the majority of the wood now exposed. It reminded me of the “slave cabins” in the woods we used to play in as children, cabins that had been neglected and abandoned with no one caring about their existence.

What I didn’t realize was the necessity of scraping off the old paint, roughing the surface to ensure the new paint adheres and anticipating the weather for perfect timing for the new coat to assure its ultimate beauty.

This made me think of my life and how God primes each of us in an effort to bring out our ultimate beauty. Through adversities he “scrapes off the old paint” and removes things from our heart and mind that prevent us from reaching our fullest potential. He sees our complacency of settling for a not-so-lovely dwelling and roughs up the surface making us vulnerable to the elements. He then chooses the right time to apply His work based on His timing and not our own. Through trials He primes us with a protective and lasting coat of grace so that the outward beauty of our new surface is based on the durable work of His craftsmanship.

Now that the work is done on the front of my house and the results are beautiful, I know what went into the prep work. I know how dependent the underneath layer is and the success of the external beauty is dependent upon the work of the underlying layer. Our underlying layer is the Holy Spirit that removes the old, primes for the new and covers with fresh coats of grace daily enhancing our beauty.

Are you ready for a new paint job?