From the Edges – Makeover – Devotions for the Journey

From the Edges – Devotions for the Journey

Pastor Calvin Cook –

Makeover

Scripture focus – 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.

In all my years in the retail furniture trade I can’t tell you how many times I have heard someone as they were looking to purchase new furniture have said the words “I am doing a complete make over”. Meaning in one of their rooms they were changing everything.  Last night I was listening to one of the Christian media influencers that I follow who was speaking about the need for a complete makeover.  This makeover is needed in our lives, our marriages, our families, communities, and churches. It is needed everywhere. We all need a makeover.

As I prayerfully considered these words, I was drawn to pray over some of the words that are sticking in my mind from recent thoughts and conversations with others; procrastination, desire, goals, purpose, change, commitment, following, emersed, faithfulness, challenges, decisions, discernment, and others that escape me now. But realizing that I will have to pray over these words one at a time for the direction that I need to be to follow Jesus closer and love God more. Wow I need a makeover, in thought, and direction.  Some days I think I have it together and other days I feel like a total reflection of rubble and chaos.

In the documentary “For the One Who Hears” that we watched this past week as a church, one of the persons in the movie said these words “What we are doing is not working, because we look just like the world. How did Jesus do it? By reflecting the Father.”  The we part is for us as individuals, families, couples, communities and the church. We have to look different, we have to reflect the Father, and the Son, guided by the Holy Spirit. To look different to be different, to truly be moving closer in our relationship with God, with others, that is truly Holy and pure without interference of the evil that is working overtime to draw us away.

The scripture I share this morning speaks that the makeover has already happened. We must make the claim “I am in Christ, the new has come, the old has gone, the new is here!”  Wow! The life we desire that we are longing for and searching for is already here – All we must do is move in, take up residence in this new and glorious life that is available for each and every one of us. All of that begins by knowing Jesus as Savior. 

Today “we implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Cor 5:20b-21.