What He Paid For

The Lord is still showing me that I am complete in Him, that He is perfecting me with each and every trial I endure. He gave me yet another illustration of this yesterday. I had a dress custom-made for a special occasion, but when I received it, it was not what I paid for. I took the dress to a skilled designer to see if it could be fixed and she said it would be better to start over from scratch. I agreed with her, because I must have the dress that I chose, the one that I paid for.

That imperfect dress reminded me of the issues in my life that I didn’t feel like dealing with. The ones that I have never conquered because instead I would avoid them. I realized that God wasn’t going to let me out of it this time. He wanted me to complete the process. If I do not see this thing through, I will be like that dress – incomplete and poorly constructed.

I will have to endure the rough parts this time so that I can become whole. I may have to be taken apart and properly sewn back together before I look like what Christ paid for with his life – His glorious Bride, spotless, without wrinkle and dazzling like a thousand Swarovski crystals.

Lord, it is my prayer today that You would make me over. I have cheapened my own design with materials that don’t belong on me like negative thinking, fear, doubt, worry and old patterns. I don’t want to be a poor imitation of the original You created me to be. You design only the finest and that’s how I want to see myself. Thank You for investing only the best in me. I love You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Ephesians 5:25-27 (New King James Version)

25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish.