Make Overs

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone the new has come!
2 Corinthians 5:17

I’m a sucker for a good makeover show. Before and after pictures fascinate me. I marvel over the transformations and I like to see how it’s done. Watch a neglected yard go from weeds to landscaped. Watch a kitchen go from dingy to airy. Watch a pile of ingredients become dinner for two. Watch a person changed with new clothes, hair and surroundings.

I want a tv crew to descend on my home: clear away the clutter, redecorate on a budget, spruce up my yard. And while they are at it I’ll take cooking lessons, a new wardrobe, and a new hairstyle. The allure, of course, is the speed at which this all happens. An hour on tv and life seems changed dramatically with little effort.

I’d like to peek in “after the after.” I’d like to see what happens in a year or two. Is the yard still lovely? Is the kitchen still clean? Can the chef still whip up dinner in 30 minutes? Does the person still have a changed style?

I suspect some of these changes turn to seed. Surface changes can be good, making life more pleasant, esthetic and comfortable. Changes of substance though, are more difficult to achieve and sustain.

What about a spiritual makeover? God can change a life in an instant. There are many stories of dramatic conversions and rescues. The work comes “after the after.” Once a heart has changed, maintaining the growth and sustaining the newness is the part of the makeover that takes the most work.

I need a makeover when my spiritual life is too cluttered with earthly demands. I find daily contact with God helps keep me on track, so I walk and have a quiet prayer time. It’s not glamorous or speedy but the God connection helps keep my life clutter free and focused in a heavenly direction.

Posted 3/15/2007 @ 5:05 PM | Weekly Thoughts