Restoration in Jesus

Psalm 139: 13 (NLT) You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

When I was a kid, I remember one summer when my aunt and uncle came up to Kentucky to visit from Florida. Many members of my extended family gathered to spend time together during their trip and, though a lot of details have been lost simply because it has been so long ago, one thing I remember distinctly from their trip was spending an entire evening at a local car show. Whether climbing inside to check out the polished leather or listening as my uncle talked to me about all the things found under the hood, I remember being so mesmerized by all the intricate details. Admittedly, the most fun part for me was seeing all the unique colors and paint designs of the cars. I especially loved those that were painted various shades of purple or blue, my favorite colors.

At the time, I was just enjoying the show and didn’t fully realize how much time, effort and attention to detail had been put into each and every one of those vehicles in order to fully restore them to their original conditions. As I was recently reflecting back on this, I found myself thinking about the process of how all this happens, and how that relates to my journey as a follower of Christ.

Motor vehicles are produced at a very high rate in this country and across the world. There is a very specific process that’s followed when designing and manufacturing a brand new motor vehicle. Each has it’s own sophisticated design intended for a specific purpose. Speed, power, towing capability, storage, durability, versatility, etc. Often, one vehicle has the ability to fulfill multiple purposes, but the point I am making is that the designers have specific intent in mind with their creation. Once the manufacturing process is complete, these brand new vehicles are released off the assembly line and sent to car dealerships to be displayed with the hopes of selling quickly.

The customer researches, test-drives and then decides on a particular purchase at which point they drive the new car off the lot and into their lives in order to fulfill a specific purpose. Whether it be a farmer buying a fully loaded truck or a new Mom purchasing a spacious SUV, over time, that brand new vehicle gets used, dented, scratched and broken down as it is utilized to fulfill the purpose for which it was purchased. Eventually, once enough time has passed and the vehicle sustains too much wear and tear, it is set aside in exchange for a different, newer vehicle, as it can no longer provide what the owner needs. Eventually, if the vehicle is appealing enough or lands in the right place, it may be purchased by another individual seeking to restore the vehicle back to it’s original form. The new owner invests a lot of time and money into the restoration process to take the old, worn out and broken down vehicle and transform it into a brand new creation. Only then is it worthy of being entered into vintage car shows and the owner granted the opportunity to show up with their restored creations to demonstrate the beautiful outcome of all their hard work.

Sadly, I think so many people in the world today believe that being a follower of Christ is much like the example provided with motor vehicles. When we look at society, we can often be convinced that, like those vintage vehicles at a car show, we have to clean ourselves up and be completely restored before we can come to Jesus. I am so grateful that isn’t the truth, and that we have the ultimate truth, the Word of God, to remind us otherwise.

Just as manufacturers have specific intent with the design of their motor vehicles, God created each of us uniquely with gifts and talents to fulfill specific purposes in our lives. Psalm 139:13-14 (NLT) reminds us of that truth: “You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.”

Because we are born into a world full of sin, like our vehicles, we all inevitably become dented, scratched and, sometimes, on the verge of breaking down. When we find ourselves wondering how Jesus could love and use someone this broken, let me encourage you. There is no process we must go through before we can come to Jesus. As children of God, regardless of our broken past, present difficult circumstances or the threat of a dark future, we have a God who restores and redeems. All we must do is open our arms and give Jesus the keys to our heart. And when we do, He wraps us up in His complete and unconditional grace, mercy and love. Only then are we able to experience true restoration, in Jesus, no matter how broken we may have felt in the past.