I love thrift stores, antique stores and a good old junk store! I look for treasures in every dusty corner! I remember one time spotting an old chandelier in a pile of junk. I knew when I saw it that it was something special. Although it was covered in dirt, dust and scratches, we purchased it! I knew that with a good cleaning and a little work, it could be restored back to its original beauty, purpose and value.
Restored
This is just what God, our Restorer and our Redeemer did and does for us. He paid a price for us even though He knew we would need restoration and not just once but many times! I’m so thankful that even when we make poor choices causing a scratch, He still loves us. When we willingly make decisions that take us away from Him, causing us to become dirty and dusty, He still loves us. We are never looked at or discarded as junk. He always sees us as His valued and beautiful creation!
How often are we guilty of looking at someone else as junk? How often do we gossip about them or choose not to associate with them because they’re dirty? How often do we say someone beyond repair? Jesus Christ paid the price for all of us! He sees the beauty and potential in everyone…we should too! After all, we were once in need of a Savior too and we are in need of His restoration, forgiveness and grace each day!
Free from stones
The story of the woman caught in adulatory comes to my mind. I am so ashamed of the times that I have held a stone in my hand rather the extending it out to help someone as Jesus did(John 8: 1-11). I pray that my hands will be free from stones! I pray my hands will be the hands of Jesus to those around me…open and ready to help lift them up. I pray that I will never view someone as junk again but that I will see them through the eyes of Jesus.
In the world’s economy, broken things always decrease in value BUT in God’s economy, brokenness increases value!! I am so grateful for that! He knew that we, as human beings, would slip and fall and make mistakes but He is ready to restore us and redeem us when we ask for His forgiveness and help. Wow, His love for us is truly amazing isn’t it! If we could completely grasp the depth of it, we would never question our value and worth again!
A challenge
Here’s a challenge…from now on, when you see a Junk store, remember God’s view of you! Remember God’s grace toward you. Remember that there are beautiful treasures all around us underneath dusty covers and pray to see them through the eyes of Jesus. Remember to drop the stones that may be in your hand. Remember that even though you make mistakes, He is ready to restore you. He will use those very same mistakes to help someone else along their journey making you an increasingly valuable asset in His Kingdom!
Read also: Broken Vessels
