The wallpaper had to go. Outdated and showing the signs of being the backboard for any number of boys’ balls, it was time for the baseball-inspired wallpaper to rest in peace.
I gathered my tools, climbed the ladder, and began the process of “off with the old, and in with the new.” As I started, my creativity took flight as I imagined fresh paint, warm colors, and beautiful charm taking shape in the space.
That lasted about six minutes.
The wallpaper didn’t want to come down. The old adhesive proved more durable than I imagined. I peeled, scraped, scored, and sprayed in an effort to expose this section of the wall to something more desirable, but it resisted transformation. I finally succeeded in getting a corner loose and, with some sense of satisfaction, yanked the piece of stubborn paper from the wall. Progress, I thought. But there, under the baseballs, was another layer of wallpaper. Spaceships, this time.
Standing on the ladder, peeling away layers of glue, I saw a picture of my soul. Transformation always sounds appealing in the beginning. But looking like Jesus always involves the hard reality of stripping away the old in order to make way for the new. But my sin is stickier than I realize. It is more durable, more tenacious, and more comfortable than I would like to admit. And just when I think that maybe I am making progress, another layer of selfishness, coat of pride, or sign of shame peeks out from underneath.
My Jesus Resolution today is to watch my Savior and redouble my surrender. His blood is the perfect antidote for sin’s sticky residue. His power can pull away the guilt that clings to my soul. He is not discouraged by the layers of old, worn-out, stained, and tacky that too often seems to define who I am. He wants me to look like Jesus. He can see the beauty and potential of what lies deep inside, and He delights every time I open my heart, inviting His transformation to unfold in me.
Casandra Martin 
Excellent! Isn’t it nice that Jesus can do all the hard work of cleaning us up?
God sees our value.
“God does not see the same way people see. People look at the outside of a person, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7
God sees us with the eyes of a Father. He sees our defects, errors and blemishes. But He also sees our value.
What did Jesus know that enabled Him to do what He did?
Here’s part of the answer. He knew the value of people. He knew that each human being is a treasure. And because He did, people were not a source of stress but a source of joy.
Governed by love
“In Christ we are set free by the blood of His death, and so we have forgiveness of sins.” Ephesians 1:7
Jesus spoke of freedom, but He spoke of a different kind of freedom; the type of freedom that comes not through power but through submission. Not through control but through surrender. Not through possessions but through open hands.
God wants to emancipate His people; He wants to set them free. He wants His people to be not slaves but sons and daughters. He wants them governed not by law but by love.
We have been liberated from our own guilt and our own legalism. We have the freedom to pray and the freedom to love the God of our heart. And we have been forgiven by the only one who could condemn us. We are truly free!
God is for you.
“He will rejoice over you. You will rest in His love; He will sing and be joyful about you.” Zephaniah 3:17
God is for you. Turn to the sidelines; that’s God cheering your run. Look past the finish line; that’s God applauding your steps. Listen for Him in the bleachers, shouting your name. Too tired to continue? He will carry you. To discouraged to fight? He’s picking you up. God is for you.
God is for you. Had He a calendar, your birthday would be circled. If He drove a car, your name would be on His bumper. If there’s a tree in heaven, He’s carved your name in the bark…
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne?” God asks on Isaiah 49:15. What a bizarre question. Can you mother’s imagine feeding your infant and then later asking, “What was that baby’s name?” no, I have seen you care for your young. You stroke their hair, you touch their face, you sing their name over and over. Can a mother forget? No way. But ” even if she could forget…I will not forget you,” God pledges (Isaiah49:15).