“…so that the grace that is reaching more and more
people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly
we are being renewed day by day.” 2 Corinthians 4:15-16
We’ve
done some remodeling this summer to keep our house structurally sound and decided
to do some updating as well. There are
analogies and lessons to be learned in everyday tasks, and peeling away decades-old
wallpaper reminded me of life as it unfolds in the presence of God’s grace.
Sometimes
I could peel away whole sheets of paper with very little effort. That part was fun! I could see immediate results and this
spurred me on. At one point I pulled so
enthusiastically the paper tore in half – something I hadn’t anticipated – and
I fell hard on my back! I was stunned, but
suffered no permanent damage, and I learned from that experience.
Many
times I had to give extra diligence to small, stubborn bits and pieces. It was frustrating and time-consuming, but
necessary. As the old façade came off I could
see more clearly what lay underneath and I began to anticipate fresh, new
options.
Living
life in the arms of God’s grace is very much like this. Sometimes it’s easy and even fun. Other times our humanness gets the best of us
and we fall back hard. What do we do when
this happens? We get up, we learn from
the experience, and with God’s strength and courage we keep going. There are also those pesky little bits and
pieces of our character that we’ve wasted a lifetime trying to remove.
When
we faithfully and consistently give ourselves over to our God and ask God to peel
away any stubborn willfulness that keeps us from glorifying Him something
wonderful happens. His image is revealed
in us.
Father
God, because your grace keeps renewing us, we delight in another day to glorify
your name, through Christ, amen.
Sandra Milholland
Abilene, Texas
