Extreme Makeover

I have always enjoyed watching "Extreme Makeover" on Sunday nights. Paul is my favorite person on the show but Ty Pennington is quite a character. Throughout the season's I have sensed him noticing the "spiritual". The other day at work I noticed a guidepost laying on the desk with his picture. I took a few minutes to read his story and his acknowledgment of God's presence in his life. He even stated that after the families shout "move that bus" and see their dream home the camera's are shut off and they spend time thanking God for the blessing they have received. Why do they turn the camera's off???

Extreme make-over’s whether it is our home or yard, our bodies, our marriage, or even our families seem to be prevalent in our society. The transformation we watch is all good but the reality is that these make-over’s tends to only be on the outward appearance of something. They have a tendency to be temporary. I hear one family refinanced their multi-million dollar home the extreme makeover team built and now have filed bankruptcy. Sadly, it doesn't always last.

In time even the best of an outward make-over will show use and wear and may not hold up in the extremes. In truth, the house is only as good as its structure, a body will quickly regain lost fat if a diet plan is ended, and a marriage or family is only as good as the effort that is put into its success. Where do we set our expectation in these things? How can one measure self-worth in a world that changes before the last trend even has a chance to grow old?
A true extreme makeover begins with the spiritual. It is what God is calling us to in the 21st century. So many religions and faith based populations have saturated this world with more self-help, self improvements guarantees that even the Christian women of today has to use caution in this process as we may only experience a temporary makeover. Outward appearances do not always reflect the inner making of the heart and the principles in which we choose for this make-over are vital to our success in it. Let’s examine the process that is taken for an extreme internal make-over:

The first step in any make-over is to identify those areas in need of improvement. Just as the house might be too small, the body too heavy, or the marriage that has grown dull, spiritually one needs to identify when there is a void in their life, an emptiness, an offense that keeps us from being what we have been called to. We are to identify the inward need for God to be in our life, in every aspect of it. We have to be able to admit that we are a sinner in need of the saving grace only offered through Christ.

The second step is to remove the offensive, to take off the old so the new can be added. Spiritually, we are to remove our self, our pride or ego, our personal wants and desires. We are required to release our suffering and shame of what we have been. Habits and attitudes have to be stripped away and replaced by the new actions of forgiveness, grace and love. We have to let go of who we have been, releasing our inner self and allowing for a clean slate that God can take over.

The third step is the actual remodeling phase, the transformation phase. It begins with the heart and the mind. As new walls are built in a house, so to a new mind and heart is to be built in the Christian women. Seeking God daily in Bible study, scripture memorization, and spiritual readings will help us not only to learn more of Him but to be able to recognize Him in our life. We will literally be transformed into His imagine but it requires obedience, radical obedience. You learn to seek God in all things, the good and the bad, and you delight in His presence.

I said this in a blog posting before and I'll say it again, it is not about how many Christian activities I am involved in but it is about being involved in what God has called me to. It is not about having a faithful quiet time each morning but about my heart during that time and how much of me I am giving Him not only in that time but throughout the remainder of the day. It is living in the words of Lamentations 3:22-24:

"The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for Him"

It’s about purifying my heart and mind so that I allow more of Him in my life!
In this makeover, this transformation of our inner self, we learn to rest in the delight of walking with God-it is what we were designed for. Though we may have known God since childhood, He will become more real to us then He ever has been. We are forgiven and living in grace. I have said this before and I feel led to say it again...using our past, our sufferings, for God's glory may be painful but maybe one soul will avoid the same sins we have experienced. Maybe one soul will come to know Christ. That is what it is all about. Maybe one soul will be called to obedience and experience an extreme eternal make-over.

"The stones that had caused me to stumble in life were the very ones that were also building my character and my destiny"

A spiritual make-over is not just a one time procedure, a one time event. It is the continuous transformation of the body, mind, and spirit with the goal of loving God more passionately. Falling in love with Jesus is a daily process and it is what He calls us to.

In Him~Pamela (MrsJoeB)