An Unfinished Painting

One of the many jobs that I've held in my life is painting and like every job, I had annoying coworkers. These two guys in particular had an annoying habit; because I was the junior guy on the crew they would often walk by the wall I was working on and point out things that were unfinished, even though I had not yet reached that part of the wall. It was incredibly frustrating to be scolded for not being perfect and completed when I wasn't close to being perfect and completed. The walls were works in progress.

Last week, I was doing a favor for someone involving painting and while prepping a wall to be painted, I remembered those guys. Strangely, I wasn't angry or bitter but I was grateful because of where my mind went next; God does exactly the opposite of those guys. When He walks by the unfinished wall that is my life, He doesn't point out the drips or brush marks but instead He sees the perfectly painted, fresh wall that it will be upon completion. He is also the one doing the painting; with the blood of His Son, He covers the flaws and imperfections, slowly making me a perfect work of art. Sometimes the prep for His brush requires painful scraping but I know that a master is at work, and He is making me better and He will complete it. 

The toughest part of this for me is seeing myself and others in this same way. I see my flaws and I know the pain and hurts I've caused. I don't always believe that I will be a fully finished painting and instead believe that the sins and imperfections will always be there. Doubts creep in. Faith wavers. But God keeps painting. When I look at myself, I need to be aware of my sins, confess them and seek repentance but I also need to see the finished work that is mine/me by the work of Jesus. This is also how I need to see others. When a fellow Christian wrongs me, or when I see someone's sin, I need to trust in that work of Christ. He is working on them, just like me. He sees them as a perfect, finished work, just like me. I need to love them as Christ loves them; not focusing on their imperfections but rejoicing in the painting that's already been done and the painting that will be done. Encouragement for the grace I see, not a focus on the sin that is bound to be there, should be the norm in every one of my interactions.

 So, Lord, give me your eyes.

See: 1 Philippians 1:6 and 1 John 3:2