Before and After

“But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
2 Corinthians 3:16-18

After seven months on the job it was time to make my office more reflective of who I am, of my preferences for color and style. I had already re-arranged some of the furniture and added a comfy chair with a side table. The biggest change would come by way of a fresh coat of paint. The brown walls and darker brown trim were being replaced with a rich smoky blue for the walls and cream for the trim. The change would not come over night, but it would happen slowly. However, each small change made a difference.

The Bible – both the Old and New Testaments – is filled with stories of lives transformed by the glorious power of the Living God. Moses went from being a murderer hiding in the desert to leader of the Hebrew people and his relationship with the God who had empowered him was so up close and personal, that he had to cover his face because it radiated God’s glory. Esther went from Jewish peasant girl to Persian Queen who would be so favored by her husband the king that her influence saved her people. Then there’s Paul author of this week’s passage.

Paul declares himself “the worst of all sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15) yet the transformation of his life from zealous Pharisee set on destroying followers of The Way to sold out disciple of Christ is miraculous. In this week’s passage he had been talking about the differences between the “old” covenant based on the law and the “new” covenant in Christ and how Jesus removes the veil covering the hearts of anyone who turns to Him. All of us who call ourselves Christian reflect the glory of the risen Lord to some degree and according to Paul we “are being transformed into His likeness with ever increasing glory…” (2 Corinthians 3:18).

This incredible transformation, available to everyone because of God’s great love is a process. Just like the transformation of my office happened over time, so our hearts are being made new day by day. Sure when someone decides to follow Christ some major changes take place, differences that might be noticed right away. As heart healing begins, how we look on the outside begins to change and those around us notice the difference, but they are just catching a glimpse of the change that is happening.

The before and after pictures of my office, clearly show the change and reflect me. I can’t wait for that day when the transformation of my life is complete and I can see the before and after pictures – I know the changes will be beyond anything I can imagine. What about you? Is Jesus transforming you, is He healing your heart? Does your life reflect the changes He is making? Are you excited to see the before and after pictures? If not, tell Him you need Him and ask Him for His glorious makeover – He is excited to see your before and after.

A Prayer
Father, you know we like seeing before and after pictures as old things are made new, thank you that Jesus through His Holy Spirit is the renovator of our lives and by His power our old, beat up and broken lives are made new from the inside out. In this world renovations are expensive and life renovations cost more than any of us could ever hope to pay – so thank you that Jesus paid the price and that all we have to do is ask Him to take over and make us new. Help us everyday to let the newness of our lives shine and bring You glory. In the name of Jesus, the Renovator of our hearts and lives, we pray – Amen.