A Fresh Coat of Paint

I am painting a dresser for our granddaughter that is due to arrive the first part of July. As I worked on it today a thought came to me about how it looks. A fresh coat of paint makes such a difference! But then I thought about the actual piece of furniture. I did not do any kind of repairs or changes in the actual design of the dresser. I did have to sand the paint so the new coat would adhere to the dresser, but it is still the same old wood, nails, glue, etc. that was there before. I just changed what it looks like on the outside, but nothing on the inside. Do you think sometimes God looks at us and is amazed and saddened? We put on our makeup, get dressed up in fancy clothes, go to church, then drive away in a nice vehicle - but inside we are still the same person. His Word says "If any man is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away, behold the new has come." II Cor. 5:17.

God can make us into a new creation if we will just let Him. But it has nothing to do with what we put on the outside. It is a Heart thing and must start there. However, the awesome change that is brought about by His work in our lives, is that it does change what we look like on the outside. I have known several people that may not be physically attractive by the world's standards, but they are so beautiful because of what they have allowed Christ to do in their lives. Just like the sanding required on that old dresser, we may need some sanding as well. The process may (and probably will be) painful as God has to rough us up a bit before He can make us into that new creation. But just like that old dresser with the shiny new coat of paint looks so different, so will we look and BE different when we allow His work to make us into the person He has for us to be!

God's blessing to all who read this!