Showing posts with label finding insteads. Show all posts
Showing posts with label finding insteads. Show all posts

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Veneers

Those,  “Oh-so-attractive" coverings that give an appealing front, make us acceptable, palatable, and pleasing to others.  No, I’m not talking about the porcelain dental coverings (though they are symbolic of this).   I’m talking about the masks that we wear to disguise and hide things underneath in us, things that if seen would be disturbing, off-putting or disgusting to others.  All of us have a veneer.  Oh, you didn’t know?!  Let me gently break it to you.  Indeed we all do, whether we’re aware of it or not!  It’s typically easy for most people to keep theirs in place when things are going well and life does not present too many challenges or upsets.  But, give people too many or too daunting a trial through difficult persons, situations and circumstances and BAM!!  The veneer will slip out of place or fall right off and major glimpses of what’s underneath will definitely be seen!  The interesting thing, typically when that happens, I for one, used to blame the ugly in me on the situation or person.   "It’s their fault – if they just didn’t… I wouldn’t act this way!"  Ha-ha!  Hmmm…I try very much not to do that anymore.  Don’t get me wrong – I can still react and I still wish people would not make bad decisions or do things that cause me or others pain – but, I no longer blame them for my choice of response.  I’ve been learning something completely NEW!  Hey, there is nothing we’d rather do than avoid seeing the horrible things we are capable of doing and thinking.   But truly, I have now come to see the amazing positive opportunity in these situations (TREASURE FINDING!).  God gives us a way to be aware of habits we still have that no longer belong to us – things that belong to Jesus, who died and took them to the cross with Him. AND, when we look to Him for the insteads for those things – He is more than gracious and kind in showing us and victoriously supporting our ability to live into those new things!  WOW! Those in Christ now have a NEW nature to live into and The Holy Spirit is unrelenting in teaching us how we can grow in practicing this new life!   The revelation of ugly things is no longer a SHAMEFUL thing.  In Christ, it can now actually be exciting!   Exciting because God is always committed to the “instead” that He’s given us in CHRIST in exchange for that ugly habit once alive, but now dead.

I am learning I can be real and authentic in my journey.  I like that and I love being with people who can also be real and are not afraid to be imperfect in their journey to treasure find the “insteads” that Jesus has given!  I am so thankful for a community of believers who are trained in seeing things this way.  They make the journey a joy and bring light to dark dark areas!  The really cool thing – the more we practice the real NEW life we have in Jesus, the less we are stirred by what previously would have been impossible circumstances or people.  We grow genuinely to produce love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness and self-control in the very places we once produced the opposite!

Jesus – this week, we remember again the deep goodness of who you are.  The suffering you withstood unto death.  The sin, pain and death you bore on the cross and dealt with once and for all! The glorious life you rose to, raising all those who put trust in you!  You are glorious, beyond all compare - incomparable.  You, you made it so that veneers were no longer necessary.  You did away with the need for them!  You made it possible for real selves to actually exist, transparent, authentic and genuine – in you.  I owe everything to you, Jesus.  And, it is my greatest pleasure to learn every way to receive and rest in your great love and live life from it.  It’s a journey I never tire of – finding YOU! You are my one and only greatest treasure. And I love the journey of identifying and shedding veneers with you!

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