Restoration Project

Bible Reading: 2 Corinthians 5:15-17

Dad didn’t look happy when he picked up his son from the principal’s office. Jerry silently followed his dad out to the car. He knew he was in trouble. Again.

On the way home, they saw a man hauling an old dresser to the curb. Dad pulled his truck to the side of the road. “Excuse me,” he said to the man. “If you’re getting rid of that dresser, may I have it?”

“Take it,” said the man. He helped Dad load it into the back of the truck.

“Why do you want a junky piece of furniture?” asked Jerry as they drove away.

“I’ll tell you later,” said Dad. “First let’s talk about your behavior at school.”

Jerry gave all the excuses he could think of for getting into trouble. Dad only frowned. “I get into arguments because I can’t control my temper,” Jerry finally admitted.

“At one time, I couldn’t control mine either,” said Dad. “When I was your age, I got into plenty of fights. I tried to change my behavior, but all my efforts failed. Finally, I trusted Jesus to be my Savior. Since then, I’ve been a different person. I still had to work through my anger—even now I struggle with it sometimes—but Jesus helped me change the way I thought about people. He helped me control my anger out of love for them.”

When they got home, Dad said, “There’s something I want you to see.” He led Jerry to his workshop and pointed to a beautiful antique table.

“Wow! Where did you get that?” asked Jerry.

“Your Uncle Bill gave it to me,” said Dad.

“You’re kidding!” said Jerry. “Is that the same table he had stored in his barn?”

“That’s right,” said Dad. “When I first saw the table, it was in bad shape, but I knew I could restore it to something useful. And Jesus is doing the same for you. He’s made you a new person, and He’s given you the Holy Spirit to help you so you can respond to others in a way that shows them His love. Like this table, Jesus can make you into more than you ever dreamed possible.”

“You really think so?” asked Jerry.

“I know so,” said Dad. • David J. Belleau

How About You?

Do you have bad habits or negative attitudes you feel you can’t overcome? If you want to change, the first step is to go to Jesus for salvation. When you trust in Him, He makes you a new person. Along with obtaining God’s forgiveness, you receive His Spirit. As the Holy Spirit works in your life, His power will change you from the inside out and shape you into the person He wants you to be.

Today’s Key Verse:
Romans 6:18 Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. (NLT)

Today’s Key Thought:

Jesus brings change