By Rae Lynn DeAngelis
One of my favorite television programs is Rehab Addict. The creative show title caught my attention one day when scrolling through the menu screen. Interestingly enough, the show has nothing to do with rehab centers. It’s actually a home renovation program.
The show’s restoration “junkie” prides herself in the fact that she doesn’t simply renovate houses—she restores homes to their former glory. New life is poured into these dwellings through blood, sweat, and tears. It is a slow and painful process, but her hard work pays off in the end. After months of scraping away old paint, ripping up old flooring, and patching cracked walls, beauty emerges from the wreckage. What was once covered by decades of fad and fashion suddenly sparkles like new.
I have learned that God is also in the business of restoration. He goes to great lengths to rehabilitate us back to our former splendor. “…you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;” (Psalm 139:13b-14a) “My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” (Psalm 139:15-16)
Our Lord loves variety and sees beauty in diversity. No two people are exactly the same—not even twins. We are born into this world unique. Over time, however, Satan convinces us that our differences are actually flaws. We buy into worldly lies that say we need to look a certain way. The result? We spend an enormous amount of time, money, and energy trying to cover up that which God has already made beautiful. “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” (Romans 12:2a)
I spent many years feeling unhappy with the way I looked and wasted an incredible amount of time conforming to the pattern of this world. Unfortunately, no matter how much weight was lost or makeup was applied, I still didn’t feel beautiful.
When God purchased my life with the precious blood of His Son, the restoration process began. It is taking some time to scrape away the many layers of worldly influence both inside and out, but day by day and truth by truth, God is restoring me into the unique vessel He created me to be.
“You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” (Ephesians 4:22-24)
Like Nicole Curtis’ renovated homes, by the end of our restoration process, may the glory of God’s Son make us sparkle like new!
