WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING "MADE"

I have received many personal messages regarding this topic of "IDENTITY". When hearing your stories, I see a very personal God at work in each of your lives. What a mind-blower that God, who is the CREATOR of the universe, wants you to know Him! You are starting to see the bigger picture of how we relate to a very real God. You are in a great place!

I came up with the title "MADE" for this blog because I saw a show once on MTV called "MADE" that influenced how I saw God's work in us. In this particular episode, a self-proclaimed geek, sporting all his awkwardness and social phobias, wanted to be transformed into his dream identity... a popular football jock. A team of "experts" were brought in to create this transformation. By the look of the task, it seemed impossible. I was watching even with a hint of disbelief... I'm just sayin'. During this time, the makeover team put him into a harsh schedule of exercise, football practice, and "how to be social with peeps" classes. To my amazement at the end of the show, he changed. He wasn't an awkward self-proclaimed geek anymore but a confident athlete. He was MADE!... well, that was at least what the show portrayed:)

TRUTH:

We, as Christians, are in the process of being MADE too. We are not left to our own devices, reasonings, and inadequacies to transition into who God made us to be. HE MAKES US. This "creating" process is in His hands. He is this "makeover team", but oh so much better! He is like a painter with a well skilled hand to paint a masterpiece. Every stroke is made with intention, patience, and the highest creative skill level in the universe. WHAT! How crazy is that! His process isn't rigorous, as religion would have us to believe. Nope. The process is most successful when we simply trust the Lord's intentions and love for us, and learn to live by His grace.

The Bible says we are HIS WORKMANSHIP (Ephesians 2:10)...

New International Version (©1984)
For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

New Living Translation (©2007)
For we are God's masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

English Standard Version (©2001)
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

So is this just messing me up or are you seeing this too.. THAT WE ARE CREATED A NEW PERSON IN CHRIST, AND GOD WORKS ON US TO BE HIS MASTERPIECE SO WE CAN DO WHAT HE PREPARED FOR US LONG AGO TO DO!!!!!! There is nothing that He has "made" that lacks the beauty, strength, and radiance that comes from His own Being. Do you know that God doesn't create yard sale junk. Nope. He is only in the business of creating masterpieces. The kicker about God is that He creates masterpieces FROM yard sale junk! I think I was broken lamp with a hula dancer on it with tassles hanging from the shade:)

OK... so what are we to do if God is doing all the "doing" here?

We trust Him. We let Him in. We believe that when Jesus died on the Cross for our sins, He accomplished the impossible for us. God created a way for us to be MADE as He intended. We trust that when we put ourselves in His hands, we will start seeing a transformation.

Personal Story:

I was a mess before the Lord got a hold of my heart. A hot mess! But when I gave Jesus my life, some things suddenly changed (and ... some things didn't). What instantly came to me was the ability to see that the Lord had a definite plan for me. That I was wasn't just made out of dust particles and success wasn't just making money to have a nice house and a great wardrobe. Life was SO much deeper and love was much more powerful than ever imagined. My eyes were opened to see that LIFE was a person and LOVE was a Being. The Bible says that Jesus IS THE LIFE of men and that God IS LOVE. These two truths infused my life for the first time after that experienced I shared from the last post. ( I promise I will get to that horrible season of testing later.)

Word for Today:

The Lord wants to be your life and God wants you to know love. Receive this LIFE and trust this LOVE. Trust the Lord to restore you. He will have the task at hand to help you to know and receive true love... the kind that never leaves or forsakes, abandons or neglects, or is conditional and selfish. No, He isn't like man where His love is flawed. The life that we get from Christ helps us to receive this love and truth. May it transform you from the inside out!

And remember... He doesn't make junk, so you are in good hands.


Kim Winston Bigler
FreetheInside Ministries

(the entry is dedicated to the young folks at Hammond Presbyterian)