It is the first step in keeping a promise made some time ago. Both of my sons have developed a fondness for automobiles. Peter, my oldest, loves the old Ford Mustangs, and I told him that once we were settled in Kiowa, we would look for a Mustang to rebuild. We have spent a considerable amount of time looking for just the right car and finally found one in Parker. This last weekend, I surprised my boys with our candidate for renovation.
This car could be the poster car for the word "Potential". Although the motor is not currently running, it seems to be relatively sound, and the body does not have too much rust. The interior shows its age, but nothing all that bad, really. So, how do we proceed? There seem to be two options. The first option is that we can put the emphasis on speed, get the car up and running, slap some paint on it, replace what parts are missing, and there you have it, the Mustang has been reborn. The second option is a lot more frustrating. We could strip the car down, check each part for soundness, and then rebuild it from the ground up.
If we were fixing the car to drive for a couple of years before we sell it, we might be temped to choose the first option. But two reasons have drawn us to pursue the slower, more thorough, option. First, we both love Ford Mustangs, and second, we want to keep the car. Because of that, we are going to take the extra time to rebuild it right, so that it will run well and long, and when something does go wrong, we will know the car and be in a better position to fix it.
And so it is, with our spiritual walk. When we enter into a relationship with God, it is because we have recognized that we are not who we ought to be, and we are (among other things) asking God to renovate our lives. But we often disagree with exactly what needs to be done. We want God to do some cosmetic work on us, a little sanding, a little paint, and then put us on the road. The difference is that God is not interested in our looking good; he will not be satisfied until we are good, from the inside out, from top to bottom. His thoroughness is motivated by two facts: He loves us and he intends to keep us.
