New paint on an old Truck

My pastor has been rebuilding an old willys Jeep for over a year now. It was in dire shape both mechanically and physically. The best description I had for it was “scrap metal”. As he began the rebuilding process, he began the disassembling process. Removing wheels and fenders, headlights and radiator, seats and doors all came off and as they were set aside, the garage quickly became a collage of cluttered old truck parts. The few times I stopped to check out his progress I was shown a refurbished part or was told a story, but honestly it didn’t look much different to me.

The body parts have all been painted and reattached now and it is finally beginning to look like a truck again. Regardless how much more work there is getting truck running, it looks neat. At this point, we don’t know if it will start once the key is turned. We don’t know if it will smoke, cough, choke, leak or die. In any case, it still looks neat. Just think how much time and effort could have been saved by just giving it a good coat of paint and leaving it sit in the garage to be admired.

As a Christian I am confronted by the same dilemma. I certainly have my share of dings and dents, but check out my cherry red color and the cool racing stripes. That’s all I’ve needed so far, no one is expecting any more from me. A personal relationship with my Savior has easily taken a back seat to performing the dos and don’ts of our church culture.

Why build a truck that doesn’t drive? Why be a Christian without loving Christ? The greatest commandment had nothing to do with following rules or keeping social standards. It has everything to do with loving a God who first loved us.