For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
John 3:17
I felt like I stepped into a movie set. It reminded me of the book Gone Away Lake with how deserted it looked. A forgotten village in the middle of nowhere, dropped at the bottom of a steep and narrow lane. This place was built in the 1930s and, oh my goodness, those chandeliers had to be original—wagon wheel-looking wooden structures hanging horizontally with lights in hurricane glass at the end of each spoke! This wasn’t just one old house but an old lodge, two cottages, and outdoor space with two fireplaces (one of which you could bake in), a small stage, and a pool built so as to jut out into the creek that flowed at the bottom of the cliff that this little village was perched on.
It wasn’t gorgeous; but the thing is—it could be. The pool could be absolutely breathtaking. The lodge is so quaint and charming, the cottages absolutely Pinterest worthy. But not yet. The one cottage was fixed up, but the shower in the lodge still had mildew growing in it, the floors needed to be redone, and the junk, dust, and general filth needed to be removed. The moss growing over the stone patio area would have to be scraped away, and the chimneys and the fireplaces cleaned of years of bird nests before fires could be lit.
The new owner saw the potential in it. She saw all that was hidden beneath the dirt and grime to what had been, and would and could still be. It’s anything but fancy right now—in all its broken, neglected decay. But. With lots of patience, with lots of elbow grease, with lots of tears when yet another thing is discovered broken, it could be so beautiful. What potential the new owner saw when she plunked down her money for this decrepit property! The dream was etched on her soul before she even knew it and it felt like a travesty to walk away and say no. She felt like she had to make it happen.
One of the things people most often cite as a reason not to follow Christ is that they have to get their life together first. They have to clean up their act, put away their sins, and then when they are all set, they will invite Him into their lives. But it doesn’t work that way. Instead, these dear people end up becoming as decrepit as this property, never being able to straighten themselves out.
Friend, if you or someone you know is using this line, it’s time to come to terms with the truth. God loves you the way you are. He sees your potential and wants to be part of your transformation. Just as the owner saw the houses falling apart and saw what they could be once restored to their former glory, so God sees what you could be, what He made you to be, if only you’ll invite Him to be part of the process.
You might only see the mess when you look in the mirror, others might say that’s all you’ll ever be, but you don’t have to believe it. God didn’t create you to be a throw away project. He didn’t make you only to get frustrated and throw you in the trash heap. If we as mere mortals can take dilapidated buildings and breathe new life into them, how much more can God do for us?
Please don’t live in the lie that you have to get “cleaned up” for God to want you, or that you were only destined to be a mess. The God of the universe decided that the world needed one of you and He wants to be part of your refining process. Won’t you let Him?
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