Snapshot

“Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation— if you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope held out in the gospel. ” Author~~God Colossians 1:21-23a


“Once you were lost and now you are found” are the words from a song that comes to mind when I read this scripture from Colossians. Once we were alienated (estranged, separated) from God now we are reconciled (made right with God). One of the first things some weight loss programs encourage you to do is take a snapshot of yourself in the beginning and then one at the end when you’ve lost your weight. The picture shows the “once you were overweight” and “now you are skinnier.”


Perhaps it would do us well if we would stop long enough to look at where we were before Christ and where we are now thanks to His reconciliation. The before picture is painted with characteristics of being enemies in our minds to God because of our evil (wrongful, sinful, against God’s will) behavior. The after picture shows colors of holiness in God’s sight, without blemish and free from accusation.


This definitely shows a wonderful picture like the before and after shots of a successful weight-loss program. But…… oh no the “B” word! But we cannot stop there we have to read the whole scripture. It goes on to say “IF”, “IF”, “IF” you continue in your faith, established and firm, and not move from the hope held out in the gospel. In other words if we don’t continue in our faith doing what we are suppose to be doing the colors of holiness in God’s sight and being without blemish and free from accusation is all gone.


Isn’t that what happens when we lose weight? If we don’t continue to do what we are suppose to do to keep the weight off it all comes back on. Trust me I know and I have the before and after pictures to prove it.

For people who think they are so smart we are tremendous fools. I hate to tell you this but the joke is on us. God hands us a wonderful plan for all eternity and we scrap off the platter what we think looks good and toss the other aside. We don’t get the option to pick what we want out of the Bible and leave the rest. The after picture won’t stay IF we don’t do what we are told to do to keep it where it needs to be. Duh, as the cartoon I once drew says, “Trying to lose weight is like trying to keep a beach ball under water all your life. If you relax for one minute, just ONE minute! POW up it goes.”


Our Christian walk and the after picture we get are no different. If we try to relax for one minute, let our Christianity slack for even a second wham down it goes instead of up. Up where it belongs in the category of being holy and without blemish. Remember Junior High and High School ladies? If we found one trace of a zit or pimple we were devastated. We would do all we could to prevent from getting them and if they showed up anyway we worked earnestly at hiding them with skin tone cover-girl makeup. Our Christian life should be that important to us as well. We need to be doing all we can to prevent the blemishes and if they show up Christ is not our cover-guy but the one who can cleanse us from our sins, flukes, and flaws. It’s sad to think that any more people are proud of their blemishes, they brag about them, they cherish them, and they encourage others to get them.


Did I mention, “We are such fools!” There is hope in God, in God there is hope. We all have a shot at it. We all qualify IF we continue in Him. We don’t get to take our blessings and run as some kind of license to sin. Oh dear I better shut up, my heart is hurting over someone I deeply care about who is going thru this stage in life thinking she can carve out what she wants and not continue in the “IF.” People, people, people take a look. We are lost people with some yet to be found.


The snapshots prove it, what do you want your “after” picture to look like? The choice is ours but we need to remember once we have made our choice, the picture is taken, and the Lord’s called us home we don’t get the option to renew our picture like those awful DMV pictures we get with each renewal. The photo shops for touching up our pictures is done here and now on earth as we continue in the “IF.” Continue in walking in faith side-by-side with the One who cares about what our snapshot looks like. Outward beauty is not required, inward obedience and faith in God is. Praise the Lord!


Smile! There is hope in God, in God there is hope. Continue in the IF. Work on your snapshot.

© 2012 Karen Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes