Painting A New Perspective | God Makes All Things New

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Painting a New Perspective | God Makes All Things New

19Now repent of your sins and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped away. 20Then times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will again send you Jesus, your appointed Messiah. 21For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his holy prophets. – Acts 3:19-21

 

PAINT

This day was filled with reading, writing, waiting, and painting.  I was done scrolling through ministry positions so I devoted time to process through theological questions I might encounter in an interview and to time to hear from God.  I am finding that during this time period I am doing a lot of reading, writing, and listening.  I think the important thing is not to get hung up on what is not happening.  We do not control a lot of things, though I wish I could control a lot more than I do.  God is in control.  God is the one who created heavens and the earth.  God is the one who can make the mountains move or the seas roar.  God is also the one who decide when the timing is right, even though I may want it now, so I decided to wait.  Waiting is hard and I will be the first to admit it is not one of my gifting.  I was listening and waiting, but then my mind began racing so I decided to paint.  We have been working on doing minor updates and upkeep items around the house.  Today I decided to paint the kitchen cabinets.  There is something soothing about painting.  Paint covers the scratches, the holes, and the dents.  It makes a cabinet or wall look new.  Paint brightens a room.  Paint hides all the blemishes even though we know that cabinet or wall has been worn and used.  To everyone who sees that cabinet or wall they see a new creation.  Paint can change how we feel about that space. 

 

MADE NEW

Right now, I look at the world and see a lot of chaos, pain, and the divisiveness. We are living in an unprecedent time.  It can be really easy to look around and see what is not happening. What is not happening is business like usual.  What is not happening is school is not functioning the way we imagined.  What is not happening is society responding the way it did in the past. What is not happening is that we are able to rely on sources like we use to.  What is not happening is interacting with one another like we did precovid 19.  There are a lot of things not happening.  Some of the things not happening provide for new opportunities and some of the things not happening have significant effects (good or bad).  What I have come to realize is ultimately God is in control and though I may want to grab a hold of everything, honestly, it is not possible.  I am constantly learning to trust God with the things that are not happening that the things that are happening.  I know that I can trust God because of who He is and how He has been faithful in the past.  I see how the scriptures talk about God making all things new.  That God is constantly working on our behalf to make all things new.  Yup we have a lot of scratches, holes, and dents but God can make us new.  Jesus Christ was sent to us, died on the cross, and rose again so that we may start a new life.  God can take what was worn and used to make beautiful again.  There is nothing that God cannot reconcile or redeem.  Maybe it is time to stop getting hung up on what is not happening and paint a new perspective, paint God upon our heart.  In the book of Acts, it tells us there will come a time when All Things Are Made New according to God. 

 

Practically Speaking | How Might We Paint A New Perspective

Ø  Be still and listen to what God is saying to you.  It is hard, I know.  Sometimes we need to take ourselves out of the situation to gain new perspective. 

Ø  Read the scriptures and see how God has made new things in the past.  Read about how He has been faithful and will make new things in the future. 

Ø  Spend time in worship and celebrating the amazing God that we have.  Allow your heart to be shaped by His word and not the world.    




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