Hidden Beauty

Read Philippians 1:1-6

I thank my God every time I remember you, constantly praying with joy in every one of my prayers for all of you, because of your sharing in the gospel from the first day until now. I am confident of this, that the one who began a good work among you will bring it to completion by the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:3-6 (NRSV)

Debbie Purcell, from Florida, decided to refinish an old piece of furniture that she thought only needed a little work. But stripping off one layer of old stain just led to another layer of stain that Debbie had to strip away in order to uncover the beautiful wood hiding underneath. As she scraped and sanded each small section, Debbie asked herself, Is this piece of furniture really worth all this hard work, or should I just toss it out and get something new?

Debbie thought about how God works in a similar fashion. God views us as beautiful children, no matter how scarred and damaged we are. God often has to strip away one small part of our lives at a time to reveal the beauty hidden inside. But as with that old piece of furniture, our lives can shine again and be brighter and more beautiful than any new piece of furniture. God can reveal our character and uniqueness.

God will never choose to toss us aside. We just have to allow God to finish the good work in us that has already begun.

Prayer: Dear God, refinish the parts of our lives that are keeping our true beauty from shining through. Use us always in your service, in Jesus' name. Amen.