by Joanie Butman
During a visit to Florida over New Year’s, I was strolling down the avenue when a young man offered me a sample of wrinkle cream, which I accepted reluctantly. Sensing an easy mark, he literally pulled me into the beauty store. My husband kept walking. The eager salesman applied what he called ‘liquid botox’ to one side of my face to showcase its transformative power. Great, I’m on my way to meet friends for dinner and one side of my face is now frozen while the other resembles a melting snowman.
While we were waiting for his product to perform its miraculous facelift, he asked about my beauty regimen. “What do you think about first in the morning? Your eyes, your neck, your lips?” Without hesitation I replied, “God.” He looked as though I had just mentioned a competing product. He continued, “No, I mean what do you apply first?” Again, I replied, “God.” At that point, he realized I was definitely not his target consumer and quickly ushered me out. Works every time.
Seriously, I can’t think of a better beauty regimen than applying God’s word first thing in the morning and the last thing at night. I rarely think of my neck or my eyes, but I think about my soul a lot – and my lips because “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of” (LUKE 6:45).
There’s only so much you can do about an aging body, but a soul is never beyond repair despite years of neglect and atrophy. Not that God has anything to prove to us, but the efficacy of His amazing grace is on display through transformed lives. Choosing to share our testimonies about His work on our behalf are the free samples with which to attract new customers.
When the salesperson held up the mirror to prove his sales pitch, I honestly couldn’t tell the difference other than the obvious stiffness of the side in question when I smiled. On the other hand, when a soul is redeemed, the transformation is glaringly obvious without needing to say a thing. God’s love can smooth out any wrinkle or blemish and fill any crack or hole. The scars He leaves are reminders of what He has brought you through. Remember, even Jesus has scars. They are symbols of the greatest act of love the world has known. It’s been said, “God often uses our deepest pain as the launching pad for our greatest calling.” The author of that wisdom is unknown, but it has certainly been true in my life.
How do you choose to use your pain for His glory?
Choose wisely.
