Extreme Makeover for the Soul
Seeing a run-down, abandoned house transformed into a beautiful new home can be amazing and inspiring. It’s a common theme on home improvement TV shows, as viewers watch the process of old debris being torn down and cleared out, making way for new floors, walls and ceilings. Brick by brick, panel by panel, the unsightly “before” makes way for the dazzling “after,” typically after much hard work that brings the vision for the new home to life.
Just as a home can greatly benefit from an extreme makeover, we too can profit when we makeover ourselves. And though an external makeover can be very positive – a new hair style, a leaner physique – it means even more to go deeper, underneath the skin and into the soul.
The soul includes three key parts of ourselves – the intellect, will and emotions. How we think, what we resolve to think and do, and how we feel about things directly impact our quality of life. Experiencing real peace and cohesion in our soul is possible if we consistently choose to follow the lead of Jesus Christ in our lives. It is a process that requires our cooperation as well as God’s help to realize lasting results.
Here are some suggestions for a successful soul makeover:
Ask God about what needs to be remade. Just as a builder has a vision and a blueprint for the house she builds, God has an ultimate plan that was created just for you. Matters we think need to be addressed – or the means by which we might try to affect them – might not agree with God’s priorities. As the Master Planner, ask for His direction and be prepared to receive and follow His path, in His strength.
Ask God to engrave His vision of you on your heart and mind. When we have a clear picture of who we truly are, who God has designed us to be, that image can inspire us to keep trying and not give up, even when we get discouraged. God’s Word says that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14) and that “we are the apple of His eye” (Psalm 17:8). He loved each of us so much that He died and conquered sin and death for us, giving every believer in Him eternal life (John 3:16). That means that in Him, we are lovely and invaluable, no matter what anyone else may think or say (including ourselves)! And as He engraves His vision on our hearts and minds, we also are directed to change our thinking and words to reflect what His Word says about us, for as a man thinks, so is he (Proverbs 23:7) and "death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit" (Proverbs 18:21).
Thank God for the makeover process. Physical makeovers often have a specific beginning and end. But growing in God – being made to look and be more like Him – is an ongoing effort (2 Corinthians 3:18). Every Christian is a work in progress and will remain so until he or she dies and goes to live with Christ forever. That means that in this life, the makeover process never ends. God will constantly be working to transform us into His image so that we reflect His love, glory and power more distinctly to the world. When we yield ourselves to Him – allowing Him to remake us as He sees fit – others come to know who He is, embrace Him, realize His best for their lives, and learn to pass on His Good News of eternal love, salvation, hope and life!
by Ann Pinkney
The following is a related prophetic word from the Lord:
“Be encouraged as you seek God’s extreme makeover process. Know that the road won’t always be smooth but that it will always be fruitful. Seek God in every facet of every experience you undergo in the transformation process. Understand that there is always a lesson to learn and that God is glorified as we yield to His reshaping of our mind, body and spirit. He is always with us; He will never forsake or leave us. Trust Him in the process of transformation so that His Spirit will fully have His way with you, for His greater glory and for His best in and through your life. Continue to give God praise, in Jesus’ name, for His plan of transformation, His plan of extreme makeover, and be prepared to see the mighty work of God on full display. Obedience to God opens profound doors of revelation, experience and comfort in Christ Jesus. Be yielded and expect God’s best. Be yielded, and expect God’s love to flow in and through your life to bless you and those to whom you are sent in Christ’s name. Give God the glory for what He intends and will do in your life. Have no fear, just walk in faith and God’s blessings will overflow into the generations to come. Believe it, and it shall be so.”
