Eliminating the Pink

“Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance.  And so you will inherit a double portion in your land, and everlasting joy will be yours.  For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing.  In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples.  All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the Lord has blessed.” (Isaiah 61:7-9 NIV)

I have come to hate the color pink.  I can’t say I was ever greatly fond of it, but now I hate it.  Let me explain.  My wife and I purchased a house late last year in which every wall, door, window frame, and trim is the same color—light pink.  The backstory of this I am dying to know!  Our main objective for the past few months, and realistically, for the next year or so, is to paint over all the pink.  

Yesterday, I was doing just that, painting two doors and a window frame, from pink to beautiful white.  My wife asked me as I was in the midst of my work if I was enjoying myself.  Yes and no, I said.  I like eliminating the pink and am delighted to see the transformation, but there is so much of it.  A couple of doors and a window frame down, but seemingly a mile of trim and many more walls and doors to go.  The further we go, the higher the mountain appears.

Last night, as I was lying in bed, I wondered if God ever feels that way. He sees a world full of sin, and even as He makes the sins of those who humble themselves before Him “white as snow,”  there remains still so much more.  For every person who comes to Him for cleansing, there are a thousand, even ten thousand, more who do not.  Their sin is still sticking to the walls of this world and it is ugly.  And I think my pink walls are overwhelming!

Although I know the Lord is not overwhelmed by the sin of this world, I think it is still good to realize how big the problem is and how He approaches it.  I wish that somehow our house could, in one day, be transformed—poof, all the pink gone!  But I know that is magical thinking.  More realistically, we bought the paint and, little by little, we are eliminating the pink from the trim in one room, or on a wall or door.  

In the same way, the Lord bought the paint (the blood of Jesus) a long time ago and He is patiently making His way through the world eliminating the ugly sin one person at a time.  The world may still be ugly, but, day-by-day, He is making progress.  It may seem frustratingly slow to us, but Love is patient and unwavering.  He never gives up.  

Today, if you are frustrated by the look of this world, know the Lord is making His way through it, covering over the sin of those who trust in Him.  It may be taking a long time, but know progress is being made. Just look closer, perhaps in a mirror, and see what He has already done.  

© Jim Musser 2015