God's Hobby
My son and I recently started working on a 68 mustang – I know, most every guy's dream. Those of you that are not into cars, bear with me for a second. If you have ever had a friend who has restored a car, one of the reasons they may be protective is due to the time that went into it. Sure, the time is absolutely worth it, but few know how much time it really took.
God's Hobby is our complete and total restoration. He is in the business of putting us back together to function in our original purpose. Only in doing so will we truly be satisfied with who we are. Before putting that shiny coat of paint on, a lot of cleaning has to happen first. To truly restore the car to its glory, every speck of rust has to be removed. A wire brush may get most of it, but it still leaves junk in the grooves. An electronic sander is a step up, but not enough power for the tough spots. If you really want to do it right, you have to take it apart and sand blast it. That is where the power is. The pressurized air catapults into every single nook leaving no trace of the rust when it is through. Only after this is the car ready to complete the restoration process. As you can see, it's much more than just brushing off the dirt and chipped paint.
If we can feel so strongly about a car, can you imagine how God feels about us? When most people get desperate enough to ask God for help, they only allow him to sandblast a portion of their life. Then after that initial encounter, somehow they believe that the rest of the work can be done with small changes, like a wire brush or an occasional use of a sander if the service on Sunday was really good.
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No person is exempt from needing restoration. Cars break down due to regular use, lack of proper upkeep, abuse, and wrecks. Through everyday life, events happen. If you find yourself cynical, dysfunctional, egotistical, self - centered, defensive, or full of a hardness, you need to be restored. If you find yourself, bragging, trying to get negative attention, putting people down, angry, cold, or fearful, you need to be restored. Walking around with rust, even in the parts people can't see keep you from having relationship with other people. Trying to keep that perfect image can take so much energy and for what purpose? If you succeed, you trap yourself with false expectations living in fear of the day that someone sees your rust.
Don't wait until the decay in your life get's worse. The longer you wait to fix a car, the more time consuming and costly the process is As God shines his sandblaster on you, it may be painful. It may involve taking things apart so every nook and cranny can be reached. Rust can cover the inside of things too. There are probably areas in your life that no one has seen, but God has seen them. He wants to step into your life and bring you true freedom, and this comes from opening up and allowing Him to bring restoration. It's the whole reason he chose to suffer and endure the crucifixion.
God's sandblaster is simple. As you repent for covering an area up, let him shine his light on every piece and begin the restoration process. There are some things you may need to confess to your spouse, parents or spiritual authority – Don't hesitate. Its part of the restoration process.
As parents and leaders, we can't afford to miss this step in our own lives. This generation is getting mixed messages from media, friends, and the constant demands culture places on them to keep up. Teenagers need to see, not just hear how God's restoration brings wholeness. A life where there is nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing to hide. When God' restores you, he makes you foundation firm and you can stand boldly with a confidence, many men and women just can't seem to grasp (1 Peter 5:10). These individuals are not willing to be completely restored. Most of the time they are afraid or don't know how. Why are we holding back from letting God restore us? Only then will we be able to clean up our teens lives, our communities the nation and the world.
