Once I saw a talk show where they had a special guest on their show. They showed a picture of this guy and he was really scruffy and dirty. His beard was long and bushy. His hair hadn't been cut in years. He looked as though he might be homeless. So they took this guy and did a transformation and what a difference they made! He did not look like the same man at all. He was clean shaven, hair washed and cut, and they had nice clothing on him. He looked years younger and like a completely new man!
I often watch those television programs where someone takes a house that is a complete wreck and flip it. One show I watched featured a house that was so gross I did not see how they could find the potential in it. There was broken windows, stained up walls and floors. The carpet was nasty. There was spray paint all over everything. Someone had taken cement and poured it down the toilet and bathtub drains. It was a disaster! But this young couple bought the home and saw the vision for it. They hired a team and they actually turned that house into a beautiful home. It was like a diamond in the ruff!
This morning as I was getting ready for the day, I was listening to the Bible on my cell phone. It kind of just came to me why I like those kinds of before and after stories. I am one of them! So are you if you are a born again believer! Look at this verse:
2 Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
Therefore if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature:
old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new.
That is a reason to rejoice! What did you used to look like? Did sin have a hold on your life? Were you that dirty and scruffy person who the world took one look at and gave up on? Were you the outcast? Were you overlooked because society said you weren't enough? We all have to face that person in the mirror and recognize we need a savior. We were all born into sin and have fallen short of God's glory.
Romans 3:23 (KJV)
For all have sinned,
and come short of the
glory of God;
You may be a wonderful person. Maybe you are a volunteer in your community. Perhaps you donate items to your local food bank and Goodwill store. You may do the very best you can but if you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior then you are lost and and you need a Savior. Jesus sees your worth. He sees your value. He knows He can take you and work on you and make you shine like gold! You have to accept Him.
John 3:16 (KJV)
For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish, but have
everlasting life.
For the one who has been set free from sin but you are struggling because you do not feel like you quite measure up. Maybe someone has spoken negative things into your life and you have received it. Don't be discouraged. You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
Psalm 139:14 (KJV)
I will praise Thee;
for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
marvelous are Thy works;
and that my soul knoweth right well.
Stop listening to the enemy. Walk in newness of life. Trust that Jesus will complete the work He has started in you. You are His masterpiece.
Philippians 1:6 (KJV)
Being confident of this very thing,
that He which hath begun a good work
in you will perform it until
the day of Jesus Christ:
Follow Him! You will love the results! The after is so much better than the before! God bless you!
~Bridgett