See here's how an inventor works.
He creates something beautiful, something perfect. He designs his car, for example, specifically for a purpose. In the year 2016, this event will happen, so He creates His car planning for that event. It's more than just a moving car. It's got a phenomenal sound system. It's got things that make GPS and On-Star seem like the stone wheel. It's got new inventions, new computer system, new self-cleaning, self directing, self driving systems in it and just works phenomenally. He creates it perfect for these plans that He has to use it in.
That's the breaking of the first lie. I'm born into sin. I'm born sinful and awful and written. I shouldn't enjoy who I am because I am pitiful. I am born into sin, born sinful, born into a sinful world. That's not completely true. Yes, we may be born in the ghetto and our natural tendency is to follow the ghetto ways (sin of Adam-Rom 5:12) but we are not made broken and messed up. We are made beautiful. God made all of creation said it looks good, then made Adam and Eve and said "It's really Good." (Gen 1:31). For a long time, I assumed that was the original creation, but then once sin entered the world mankind got all messed up and stopped being created good and intricate. David (33 generations into sin), still wrote "I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well." (Psalm 139:14). So if David noted the fact that He was still made beautiful and fully loaded 33 generations into sin, why do we think any different? God made us intricate, and specialized. He made us good with specific gifts and talents and ideas and just special things He likes for a future purpose. But there's sin...The inventor makes His specialized car for the plans He has for it. But then something happens. Some people would say that we gave the keys away by our bad choices. Others would say that Satan came and stole the car from us. Others would say someone came, took the keys from us, and gave the keys away to evil. For the purpose of this story, the key comes down to this: Jesus made the car, but at this point, He is not the one driving it. Somehow, Satan/evil/sin is controlling the car.
At the cross, Jesus earned the right to take the car back. So He comes to us and says, "Can I take my car back?" That's it, "Can I take my car back?" Some people say, "Yes, let me get it for you." He says, "You can't get your car back, if you could, you would have already gotten it. Can I take my car back?" Others say No or they don't answer and they're not Christians. Some say, Yes, you can take your car back, and Jesus walks over stands in front of the car. Satan has to stop and Jesus walks over to the door rips Satan out, gets in His car and drives away - thus making the person a Christian. (Col 2:15)
The car has been hijacked and horrible things have been done to it, horrible things have been done in it, it has been used to do horrible things. There are cigarette burns in it, the seats have been cut by a knife, the engine has been neglected, the fenders have been dented, the computer has been all scrambled, people have had sex in the back seat, a kids been hit and hurt with the car, it's been used in a bank robbery, people have done drugs, told lies, and masturbated in the car. They car has been very messed up. Sometimes we give ourselves into sin, sometimes people have sinned against us with words, looks, molesting, etc. We all know that our engines/hearts have been neglected, there's been damage to our body inside and out, and we're not exactly show room material for the 2016 Car Expo.
No inventor will show off His car in these circumstances. No one walks around bragging about how messed up His car is. Often times we parade our sins and our scars around in church and in front of people to show "how good God is to you." God wouldn't parade you around like that. Well, God let me go through this so I would learn a lesson. He put me through this so I could see how good He is. That doesn't make sense. Why would an inventor create a perfectly amazing and state-of-the-art creation then show it around town in it's broken busted up state after being hijacked?
What the inventor would do is take the car back to His shop. Is the seat cut? That's ok, I created it. I have more material in my shop to repair it. Is the back seat all nasty from horrible things done on it? That's ok. I will take it out and replace and put a new one in it. Is the computer/mind all frazzled and no one else can figure out how to get it even to begin to turn on correctly? That's ok. I created it. I can take it apart and fix it and rewire it, or I could create a new one and just put it in. The fenders and body messed up? I can clean those up too and trim them back to fitting appropriately. The engine and heart been neglected and not working correctly? I can tune it up and replace any broken areas so it runs smoothly and purrs again. Anything and everything that's wrong with it - body defects, mental defects, abuse to the insides, abuse to the outside, neglect, damage, and messed up wiring - I can fix. I created it so I can fix it or I have enough supplies that I can create a new one. You see an inventor will take everything that's messed up and replace it until it is at least back to it's original glory if not better.
God's plan is not to show you off in your broken state. That's stupid for an inventor to show this off. He desires to bring you back to His shop, His presence and one thing at a time replace and heal all that's been done to you, things that have been done in you, and things that you have done to harm yourself.
Then as the car is fully restored to it's Eden like state. He takes it around and shows it off. When it's beautiful and shining and it's doing its best and shining with glory and joy and fully using all of it's accessories. He takes it and shows it off and uses it for how He created it. See, the plans never changed from the beginning. He still had plans for that car and even when it got hijacked, the plans stayed the same. He likes to show off His car to everyone.
We're allowed to do what we can do and enjoy doing them. That's why they're called gifts. It's ok to show off what you can do. When you do what you can and do it well for the world to see, it actually brings more honor and glory to the Inventor than claiming you can do nothing. If He puts a $15,000 sound system in you, don't be afraid to turn on the music and turn it up. He puts writing, drawing, dancing, care taking, children working, administration, teaching, song writing in you - don't be afraid to do it and do it big for the world to see how equipped the Inventor has made you.People will come to Him and say "Wow! Look at that car!" They'll look back at their own car and say "Oh... I wish my car could look like that. It's a little beat up and seen some mileage." Then the Inventor will reach into His back pocket and pull out a few photographs and say "This is what it used to look like at one time." "No way!" They'll respond. "There is no way that's the same car as this!" He'll just laugh and chuckle. "I can make your car look like this too," He whispers in their ear.
The only time we have permission to bring up our past or show off our scars is when someone looks at us and says, "I wish I could be like that." Then we can say, "Look, this is what I used to look like." No other time can we drag around and flash off our scars and bumps of what used to be. Also, if we aren't glowing and displaying a full life now (not the grumpy old, "sinner saved by grace is all I'll ever be until I go to heaven."), a life full of grace and joy, who is going to look at us and say "Man, I wish I could be like that." Instead, they'll look at us and consider we're both under the same master who hijacked us.The Inventor is honored, respected, and glorified when His creation is at it's peak performance -when it's running and put back together without junk, diseases, heartaches, past aches, and scars and cigarette burns. So if you've allowed the Inventor to get His car back, you have been restored. His desire is to restore you. In His presence He wants to restore you and show you off. He has special things and plans He made just for you to do. He created you awesome from the beginning for them. (Eph 1:4, 2:10) So be restored. Show off your wholeness, your Holiness so the world can stand in awe of the Inventor and can come and be restored. Really, enjoy your car. Enjoy who you are and the fun intricate special inventions that are hidden in you that makes you more than just the standard base model human (there is no such thing, by the way. Every human comes fully loaded, just with different accessories.) Enjoy who you are and whose you are. Let Him show you how you use all of the cool gadgets in you and really just enjoy how He's made you and how awesome you are.
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