You Love Me Anyway

I was driving home from work and listening to the radio. I listened to a few songs then changed the channel. A song came on the radio that I've heard many times before, but as I listened closely to the words it brought tears to my eyes. Good tears.

"But, You love me anyway."

Isn't that what we all want? We just want to be loved for ourselves, in spite of our faults, our imperfections, our poor choices, our dumb quirks, our lies, our jealousy, our pride, and so on.

There is only One who can love me that perfectly. Only Jesus can love me when I keep making the same mistakes over and over, when I keep doubting Him, when I ignore Him and put other things ahead of Him.

"It’s like nothing in life that I’ve ever known."

Yes, Jesus does love me anyway. Just let that thought soak in to your soul.

I was reminded of the Apostle Peter. He loved Jesus with all his heart. Yet, when it came right down to choosing between  his own life and Jesus, Peter chose to save himself. Not once, but three times. Peter...well, I can't even imagine how he felt after that. I can only fathom the depths of despair running through his heart. Peter must have felt lower than low. How could you truly love someone and then--to use current vernacular--throw them under the bus when their life depended on it?

The best part of the story is that Jesus loved Peter anyway. Then He gave Peter an opportunity to openly profess his love for Jesus publicly. At the Sea of Galilee Jesus appeared to the disciples while they were fishing (John 21). After Jesus cooked breakfast for the guys, he asked Peter three times, "Simon son of John, do you love me?" Did you notice Jesus used Peter's former name when He asked this question? (Interesting.)

Jesus loved Peter anyway and Peter went on to do great things in Jesus' name. Jesus also loves me and you anyway--no matter what we've done.

Watch the official video of "You Love Me Anyway" by the Sidewalk Prophets

Wax On, Wax Off

I was watching the 1984 version of The Karate Kid and a spiritual analogy came to mind. Daniel wants to learn to defend himself so he asks Mr. Miyagi to train him in karate. Miyagi finally agrees as long as Daniel agrees not to ask any questions. "No questions," says Miyagi.

"Wax on, wax off" Karate Kid 1984.

Daniel shows up ready for his first karate training session and ends up washing cars instead. This is where that famous "wax on, wax off" scene happens. Daniel is a bit confused, but follows orders. He's trusting Miyagi will get around to the real karate training eventually.

The next day Daniel shows up and is shown how to "sand the floor" which he proceeds to spend the entire day doing. This process continues day after day with similar chores of "paint the fence" and "paint the house." By this time, a very patient Daniel is finally getting worn out, frustrated, feeling used, and is ready to go back on his promise of "no questions."

Daniel gets angry with Miyagi and is ready to give up and walk away. Miyagi says, "Ah, not everything is as seems."

What Daniel did not understand was that all the chores he was doing which seemed like busywork, was really his training. During this time Daniel was learning to trust his teacher, he was learning to focus, he was building up strength and skills in his arms. Miyagi's method of teaching was vastly different than the training the other boys at the dojo were getting.

Have you picked up on the spiritual analogy already? Sometimes we ask God for something--a ministry, a new job, a family--and then we find ourselves a million miles away from what we had in mind. Now, we'll assume that whatever we've prayed for is something good, legal, moral, and fits in God's overall plan for our lives. If that's true then it's entirely possible that God will give us that ministry, job, family at some point in the future. However, while we may think we're ready to tackle that dream now, God knows better so He puts us through some training.

In this training time God asks us to trust Him implicitly. We must rest our faith in whatever God is asking us to do right now. And, unlike Miyagi, God doesn't mind if we ask questions (and He's patient when we do!).

We may be waxing cars or painting fences and somehow all of that just may translate into an answer to our prayers later. Ah, not everything is as seems.

Hmmm. Just something to ponder next time we feel as if what we're doing now doesn't really matter.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. ~ 2 Corinthians 5.7

We Love Makeovers

Face it. Women love makeovers. Oh, I've watched my share of What Not to Wear episodes. We love to watch these shows and read the magazines which transports individuals with an outdated wardrobe into supermodel territory. Then there's the ever-popular brand new 'do for the woman who's been wearing the Farrah Fawcett look since she graduated high school. It may have been a good look at one time, but...

It's Time For a Change

Makeovers have a way of giving us ordinary gals hope that we can change.

It breathes new life into our confidence.

It also gets us noticed by others.

There's another kind of makeover that doesn't get as much attention or fanfare. It's not featured on the cover of fashion magazines or have entire television shows dedicated to it. It's the inner makeover.

Our Creator desires to do a makeover, transforming us from the inside-out into His image. Doesn't sound very glamorous, does it? Alright. Maybe it's not. But, if we aspire to be more like Christ, it's a very necessary makeover. We know all the dark secrets inside of ourselves, the ones that we like to keep hidden away from others. It's time to let Christ shine his Light in those dark corners. His Light will reveal tiny little dust bunnies that you didn't realize were hiding inside or the big ones that you thought He didn't notice. It's time to sweep those away. The process can be fun, amazing, energizing, and sometimes painful. Rearranging is never easy. But, the payoff is incredible.


This inner makeover has a way of...

giving us ordinary gals New Hope that we can change.

breathing New Life into us, giving us a new confidence.

getting us noticed by others when they see God's Light radiating through us.

Romans 12:2  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 

2 Corinthians 3:18  But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit. 

2 Corinthians 5:17  This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! 

Galatians 6:15b  What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.

All the outer beauty in the world cannot compare to the beauty God can give us on the inside. 

And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.

Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, 

and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. 

Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. 

~ Philippians 4:8

Have you asked God to give you a makeover?