Just yesterday, as I was doing a devotional I got to thinking about my "tapestry." I've heard the analogy of our lives being compared to a tapestry of which we only see the messy bottom. The strings are hanging down, we see no discernable pattern or picture. It probably even looks like a disaster to us. Dark threads abound, we see only the ugly underside...what the heck could that possibly become!?!
But on the other side of this tapestry is the Master Artist. Our heavenly Father. He is weaving and arranging and placing colors just so. He has a plan and a picture in mind. He is deliberate and focused.
The devotional I was reading was on controlling the tongue. And I was thinking to myself, boy does my mouth add a lot of dark threads to my tapestry. LOL My mind started going down the road of how so many people will have these tapestries full of light colored threads, while mine will be medium to dark, with some bright spots here and there. And then I felt God "tell" me that the bright stands out against the darkness.
Fast forward to today's worship devotional in "31 Days of Praise" by Ruth Myers. In it Ruth talked about how God even uses our failures and imperfections, our mistakes, sins, messes...the things we do wrong and the wrongs done to us, and weaves them into the most beautiful of designs in order to bring glory to His Name. Total God visit for me!
Do we then say, "Oops, I sinned again. No worries, God will use it." Of course not. Paul tells us in Romans 6:1-4 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? 2 Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it? 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. We continue to work with the Holy Spirit to overcome the sin we the Bible tells us we are dead to.
But going into the pit of guilt and shame every time we sin is not God's plan either. In 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We are forgiven. God knows us, knows what makes us tick, who we are, and how we came to be what we are. He knows what it takes to "fix" us and has the timing and circumstances, lessons and leadings all set up to do just that. And all of it put together will result in a life beautifully lived for Him....if we let Him. Our job is to keep moving forward, keep holding onto our Lord and keep striving to become who He wants us to be. Stay in His Word! I cannot stress this enough. Don't give up!! Philippians 3:12 12 Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Philippians 2:12-13 12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling; 13 for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.
God works in us, and uses everything in our lives for His purpose. Maybe our mistakes and failures are what He uses to draw another mess to Himself. They see that God is fixing us, working with and loving us and think, "Yeah, maybe He can help me too." Be honest about your mess! It may help someone else!.
Lord, help us to see ourselves as You do. You see us through Jesus, as pure and holy in Your eyes. You see us through eyes of love and patience. You see the finished masterpiece that we are becoming. Do the work in us and let us not despise the small beginnings, the little victories and the baby steps we take towards becoming more and more like Jesus. Romans 8:28-29 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. 29 For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. We rejoice that You use all things, good and bad, to make us more like Jesus. Help us to keep going forward with You. I do pray that You keep us from sin, but I also thank You for Your forgiveness when we fail. You are an awesome God. And we love You. In our Savior's Name. Amen.
1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.
Stay connected to Jesus. Stay in the Word, in prayer, thanksgiving and worship.
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