My husband and I are in the process of having various home repairs completed. For me, deciding paint colors is one of the most challenging, psychological exercises. It’s crazy how choosing a simple paint color can be so nerve wracking. What if I choose the wrong color? What if it isn’t pleasing to the other members of the household? What if, after it’s all on the wall, it is obvious that the person choosing has no clue about interior design (yours truly).
To make things even more challenging, my husband, a true artistic type, loves lots of color, where I am more of the, “let’s keep things on the down-low” type. The idea of painting a wall blue, for example, fills me with extreme anxiety and terror! Many years ago, in one home we rented, I painted a small bathroom a bright, medium shade of cornflower blue. When it was finished, I was horrified at how terrible it looked. It was nothing like what I had imagined, so I swore off ever using blue on walls again. However, I am always amazed when I walk into someone’s home, who has managed to use the most eye appealing shades of blue paint to complement their furnishings, decor, and flooring. They had vision, before they refurbished the room, of the beautiful space it could be. Where I could only see an ugly blue wall, they could see how all the colors would work together to form an inviting, beautiful, and peaceful place for their family and friends to enjoy.
Isn’t it like this in God’s Kingdom, too? When we look at our own lives, or the lives of others, it’s challenging to “see” the blank slate that God sees through His creative, artistic eyes. While we might see a person who “will never change,” God sees fertile ground, a heart that is desperate for Him. Where we see a person who hurts us or our loved ones, God sees a beautiful soul that needs His restorative love and affirmation. We see trash, God sees treasure. Where we see dirt, God sees life. We see a blank, ugly wall, God sees a beautiful, exquisite painting. You get the picture! He sees beyond the ugly blue wall. His decision to choose us to be His children and heirs is one that He will never regret (I find this hard to accept, sometimes). We are His masterpiece forever, a work that continues until we take our last breath upon this earth and step into His presence.
Perhaps I’ll go paint that wall blue now.
8 God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9 Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. 10 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. Ephesian 2:8-10
