My church, Oasis Christian Church, Concord, NH, renovated a building recently for our new worship space, and it's got me thinking about the gospel.
I struggle to see potential. I'm so visual a person that if the first glance reveals something in less than pristine condition, or if a situation is less than ideal at the outset then I get immediately defeated, slump into a chair and declare loudly "It's hopeless!"
My wife Julie balances me out. She she's the potential in every situation. Often I'll look in the refrigerator or the cupboard and make a declaration like "there is nothing in this house to eat!" and she'll craft a gourmet meal out of what I thought was a hopeless set of left overs. Or I'll look at a room in our new house and say "there is nothing that can be done with this room" and it will end up being my favorite spot in the house. Or, in one famous early event in our marriage, she rescued a cabinet that I was going to throw out, painted it and now it holds our beloved record collection (Including a vintage copy of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.)
The Gospel (Greek for "good news") likewise says to a hopeless situation "I can do something with this."
When a soul is born again something happens in three dimensions of time. Past sins are taken care of, the spirit works in our heart in the present to sweep out the dark spots, shore up walls and patch the holes in our lives and our future "legal status" as children of God who will spend eternity in the presence of the Father is assured.
It's the present work that I'm reminded of when I look at a renovation.
I'm not the same person I used to be, thank God. There were some gaping holes in my life that the Lord has healed, some crippling insecurities that He has eased and walls that needed leveling that He has torn them down and rebuilt from the ground up.
It's when I think about what my life would look like without the Holy Spirit's work that I sing a song of praise, for like George Baily in It's A Wonderful Life, I sometimes get a glimpse of what my life would look like without Jesus and I shudder. Because I know myself, I know what lies in the darkest corners of my heart and I'm glad the Spirit is there, doing His work.
This is my favorite thing to tell people: "The Lord has a plan for your life!". Jeremiah 29:11 says "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." He has a good idea for what the space of your life could be used for, and He's going to work.
You may think that this applies to everyone but you, but I'm telling you you're wrong. The master craftsman has a impeccable track record of righting the most crooked life, rescuing the most hopeless cause and making a masterpiece where others see only the mess.
The Lord is working on you, He's got the blueprint and He's going to make something unbelievable out of your life.
It's all about potential.
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