A couple from Connecticut decided to have a garage sale. One of the items they put in the sale was a mirror they’d received as a wedding gift. The reason they were selling it was that it had a gaudy aqua-colored metal frame and they just couldn’t find a room in their house where it looked good. Shortly after the tag sale began, a man who was looking to decorate his apartment bought the mirror for one dollar. He was so excited and said as he bought it, “This is a great deal - it still has the plastic on it!” Then he peeled off the aqua-colored protective covering to reveal a beautiful gold-finished frame underneath. The couple missed the true value of the mirror because they couldn’t see past the protective covering.
Unfortunately, this is also true in our world today. In a moment, people will pass judgment on a person because of the color of their skin, their posts on social media, who they voted for in the last election, the clothes they wear, or maybe even that tattoo that protrudes from underneath their shirtsleeve.
Truth be told, all of us have something in our lives that we are not proud of; something that we could be judged for.
So I am thankful today that Jesus, our God and Savior, looks past our exterior and sees our true value even when we sin against him. Through his life, death, and resurrection, God has put in place a way for us to be saved - which is priceless!
“You, Lord, are forgiving and good, abounding in love to all who call to you.” (New International Version, Psalm 86:5)
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for in due season, we will reap a harvest if we don’t give up.” (New International Version, Galatians 6:9)
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (New International Version, James 1:27)
-Jeff Greene, IDES Director of Church Relations