After seeing what real stained wood looks like, I don't think I will ever paint a piece of wood again.
As I stood in my driveway last weekend, staining trim for my bathroom, I realized a wonderful analogy.
We start out in life, like a brand new, plain piece of wood. We have so much potential, just can't see it yet. There are so many possibilities. So many choices. So many different things we can become.
We can choose to sit and be nothing. We can choose the one who will use paint, the world - or we can choose the One who will use stain, God. Each one will appear to improve the wood, but in what way, and where will glory be found?
Let's say you choose the world. The world likes paint. The world will sand and prime and pick a beautiful color.
Then the world will put on coat after coat of paint. The paint will hide the grain. It will hide the beauty. The paint will make this fresh, beautiful piece of wood into a uniform piece of trim. A piece that matches everything else and has no unique value of its own.
You can't see the individual grain. You can't see the personality that this particular piece of wood has that makes it different from every other piece. It simply matches all the others.
If it is hurt or damaged inside, under the paint, no one can tell. You see, the paint serves as a beautiful mask. Makes everything on the outside look all pretty, even if the inside has a knothole or two.
God, however, He likes to stain. You see, He made you to be a beautiful creation and He wants that to show through.
God said that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" Psalm 139:14. He made all the grain in that wood and He wants it to show through. He lovingly and tenderly wipes stain on, bringing out every mark, every line, every curve in the personality that He created.
He knows the knotholes, the hurt, the pain and the fear. He becons us "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.
He will take you in His loving hands and sand away the rough spots. He will finish what He started too, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Phil. 1:6.
Let Him make you into the beautiful piece of art the He created you to be?
If I can pray for you, please let me know.
As I stood in my driveway last weekend, staining trim for my bathroom, I realized a wonderful analogy.
We start out in life, like a brand new, plain piece of wood. We have so much potential, just can't see it yet. There are so many possibilities. So many choices. So many different things we can become.
We can choose to sit and be nothing. We can choose the one who will use paint, the world - or we can choose the One who will use stain, God. Each one will appear to improve the wood, but in what way, and where will glory be found?
Let's say you choose the world. The world likes paint. The world will sand and prime and pick a beautiful color.
Then the world will put on coat after coat of paint. The paint will hide the grain. It will hide the beauty. The paint will make this fresh, beautiful piece of wood into a uniform piece of trim. A piece that matches everything else and has no unique value of its own.
You can't see the individual grain. You can't see the personality that this particular piece of wood has that makes it different from every other piece. It simply matches all the others.
If it is hurt or damaged inside, under the paint, no one can tell. You see, the paint serves as a beautiful mask. Makes everything on the outside look all pretty, even if the inside has a knothole or two.
God, however, He likes to stain. You see, He made you to be a beautiful creation and He wants that to show through.
God said that we are "fearfully and wonderfully made" Psalm 139:14. He made all the grain in that wood and He wants it to show through. He lovingly and tenderly wipes stain on, bringing out every mark, every line, every curve in the personality that He created.
He knows the knotholes, the hurt, the pain and the fear. He becons us "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30.
He will take you in His loving hands and sand away the rough spots. He will finish what He started too, "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" Phil. 1:6.
Let Him make you into the beautiful piece of art the He created you to be?
If I can pray for you, please let me know.
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