Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:
old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
–II Corinthians 5:17 (KJV)
I suppose every man reaches a point where he gets in
his head the idea of restoring an old car. I confess this hit
me a couple of years ago despite the fact I know little about working
on cars. After much thought, I settled on finding a 1974 Plymouth
Satellite. The reason being I had one from the time I was 17 until
my early twenties. It was a beautiful car and I regret I ever
sold it. The problem with finding this particular model car today
is if you find one at all they vary between two extremes. They
are either in a junkyard and would take an expert restorer and thousands
of dollars to rebuild, or they have already been meticulously restored
and cost more than I could ever afford. Sadly, I abandoned my
hope of restoring a 74 Plymouth Satellite.
It’s funny, but often what we desire is right before
us. Since 1998 I drove a Plymouth Breeze, which we had bought
brand new that year. Last year the car blew a head gasket, which
for a car approaching 200,000 miles means more spent on repair than
the car is worth. The car has sat in our driveway for months and
I was considering sending it to the junkyard. But then I had an
epiphany of sorts. “This is the car I will restore.” I thought.
So, I have been doing a good amount of reading and also getting advice
from a mechanic friend, and if all goes well I just may fix the blown
head gasket myself. This involves practically taking the entire
engine apart, but after tinkering with it my confidence is growing.
If I get this problem fixed and the car running, then I am on my way
to a full on restoration project, which is most exciting.
I share this because God is in the business of taking
lives which appear to be worthless, beyond repair, and beyond restoration
and making them new creations in Him. People will often believe
someone is beyond hope. We wonder if the person will ever get
his or her life together and on the right track. No doubt you
know someone who fits this description. Let me challenge you to
pray relentlessly for this individual. As long as people live
ad breath there is hope they will experience the life changing power
of Jesus Christ. I have personally known people who were in this
category of what people refer to as beyond hope. Yet, through
the power of Christ, they turned their lives around and began living
lives of vibrant faith and living hope.
Before writing someone off, write his or her name
instead on a piece of paper and place it in your Bible. This will
be a way of remembering to pray for the person. Pray in faith
for the person to receive Christ. Look for opportunities to share
the love of Christ with the person. Keep praying and do not give
up, for the Lord will honor His Word and the prayers of His people.
God bless you today.
