When I was 17 years old, I desperately wanted a step-side Chevy Silverado with a 350 engine, five-star rims, dual-exhaust pipes, and a five-speed transmission. It was my dream truck. But, it was outside of my financial means. Yet, to my surprise, after several months of dreaming, my dad bought one for me!
My response: immediately, determine how fast it would go.
Every time I took off, I was blessing the blacktop with a new layer of rubber. Not long into my ownership experience, I got an itch for racing backroads. The suicide lane was my standard line of sight. Too often during races -- to avoid oncoming vehicles -- I put my prized truck in ditches and cleaned out culverts. On weekend excursions, I took it through creek beds and gravel roads, and I even hit a massive deer. By the time I entered my 20’s and finished my testosterone-fueled cruises, the truck was nearly destroyed. But if you were to see that truck today, it looks like it did the day it rolled off the showroom floor. I think it looks better.
To me, it's amazing when I go into my garage, and while staring at the truck, reflect on all of my teenage recklessness. I think about all of the life-threatening mistakes I made trying to prove my manhood, the things I put in jeopardy while behind the wheel. With ease, my memory vividly recalls the events that created deep dents, long scratches, destroyed bumpers, and busted headlights and taillights. Yet, when I see the truck today, it doesn’t look like what it’s been through.
My truck has been restored.
Do you look like what you’ve been through?
Your marriage?
Your business?
Your relationship with your children?
Seriously, be honest. Do any of those things look like what they’ve been through?
If so, then you need to know: God is in the restoration business. He doesn’t just desire to cleanse you (wash you off, but leave the dents and dings), he wants to restore you so that you don’t look like what you’ve been through!
I invite you to watch or listen to my message on this subject. Within it, you will learn some practical ways to position yourself for restoration. I also share a personal story of how God cleansed my marriage from the disfiguring effects of offense and bitterness and restored Mandy and me to the point where our relationship no longer looks like what it’s been through.
You can watch it here: You Don't Look Like What You've Been Through