Before and After

Social media platforms and broadcast media outlets have a plethora of Before and After stories.  Television has entire channels dedicated to broadcasting the process of transformation.  I especially enjoy the television shows where they are working to revitalize an entire neighborhood, one house at a time.  The story usually begins with a dilapidated, maybe even condemned house in a neighborhood where most houses are in varying states of decay.  Throughout the show, viewers are shown all the blood, sweat and tears that is poured into the rotting structure.  There’s typically three distinct parts to these types of stories:  the before, the restoration process, and the after where the finished product is displayed.  I like to think of our verses this week as the best kind of Before and After story.  

Every Christ follower has a Before story.  The author of Ephesians explains our condition as: “dead because of your disobedience and your many sins.” (Ephesians 2:1 NLT) and our actions as “… following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. “(Ephesians 2:2-3b NLT).   We were much like the condemned house: full of decay.  The house with its leaky roof and broken windows did not have the means to protect itself from the effects of wind, rain or snow.  Likewise, we were ill-equipped to battle the “prince of the power of the air “. 

The restoration portion of the house story varies greatly from our restoration. The house takes time, money and talent by an owner and or a contractor.  Our transformation is all God’s doing. It's because of His mercy, grace and abundant love for us, even though we were dead in our sins, he saved us. (Ephesians 2:5-6 ESV) It’s not our blood, sweat and tears that transforms us, but a gift from God, “… not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”  (Ephesians 2:9 ESV)

The After segment in the TV show provides a tour of the home, evidence that it has been restored into something beautiful, now a beacon of light to other homeowners who want to invest in the neighborhood.  Our After is also meant to be an example to others.  Again, the author of these verses tells us God will “point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness towards us…” (Ephesians 2:7 NLT).  We were once like a dilapidated house but God transformed us into something useful in order that we may be the light that attracts others to His neighborhood. 

-Brenda Wooff