This week I’ve been repainting my kitchen and pantry. Many moons ago, in 1992, when I was in undergraduate college, during the summertime, I worked as part of the school’s skeleton-crew, crack team of painting professionals. Needless to say, I really know my way around a brush and a can of paint—however the price of paint has skyrocketed, and don’t get me started about the foolishness of many of the paint names! I don’t understand how there can actually be more than one color of white paint; it’s only and always just white—not Cloud, Ivory, Milk, Chalk, Snow, or Bone!
I digress! After I had completed the task of “cutting in”—the process of carefully and painstakingly painting all the edges and corners of the walls, which is the most difficult and time-consuming part of painting—I began to wash all my equipment. As I was scrubbing the brushes, on psychological auto-pilot, my eyes fell on what looked like a scrap piece of thin plastic, 12 inches long and 3 inches wide. I picked it up, closely examined it, and—thinking it was garbage—was about to throw it away when I quickly stopped myself and removed the tool from my hand. As I dried it off and slipped it in my pocket, I could literally hear my boss’ voice in my ear explaining that this was called a painter’s “guide” and was used as a shield for the trim while cutting in. This shield kept the trim paint from getting on the wall.
I remember him smacking me on the back of the head, as he further explained that if trim paint gets on the wall, that I, the painter, would have to repaint the affected area, thereby wasting more time, energy, of not just myself—but the entire team—and costing the school more money in fixing the problem. I remember, all those years ago, thinking to myself, Man, I should have thought of inventing that. I could have been rich!
In the midst of my selfish contemplations, God stepped in and reminded me that He has already given me, and you, our own “guide” that will enable us to paint our lives right the first time, thereby preventing us unnecessary and painful consequences.
Solomon, the smartest “smarty-pants” in all of history, went through the trouble of writing it down for us so we won’t have any excuses.
Here’s what he wrote: “Respect and obey the Lord! This is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7, CEV).
Everything in our lives begins and ends with whom we put into the “God-shaped” hole in our hearts. If we recognize that God is who He says He is, then chances are we’ll make choices that reflect that reality. However, in my life and in the lives of many others I’ve seen, people have decided that they, someone, or something else, will be placed in that spot, and the consequences are always bad; and significantly more serious than having to just re-paint something!
So today I hope you will make the decision to recognize God, take Him seriously, and let Him lead you. Paint your life right–the first time. You’ll be glad you did.
