https://odb.org/MY/2021/09/16/from-mess-to-message
There must have been countless lives changed from mess to message since knowing Jesus, throughout history as recorded in books, magazines, testimonies in rallies and churches all over the world. I’m sure we have heard of such testimonies among our local community and church, at our workplaces, colleges or schools. He or she was in a mess, but God came in and they became shining beacons of God’s glory. Of course, the change did not happen overnight and yes, there were relapses back into mess. But over time, we see believers becoming softer in heart, stronger in character, more cultured, more forgiving, more compassionate, more caring and a kinder person – or just plain different but a better human.
There are two points I think God is saying to us today. The first is that although change will take time, it mustn’t take forever. There is no excuse to keep on delaying transformation within us as the longer we fight it, the longer will it take for God’s glory to be seen and His power manifested in our lives. We must persevere on, inch by inch and not take one step forward but 3 steps backwards everytime. Running the race and progressing is the name of the game!
The second point is that it need not always be a full catastrophic mess to a shining and glowing message. Change can come from whatever stage our life is presently and it can be from a small mess but nevertheless the message needs to remain. The message must be constant. Our testimony before God and man must be maintained in all that we do. Maybe our speech used to be punctuated with swear words but now we speak in a more cultured way. Perhaps, we should now pray out loud to praise God in front of the congregation. Maybe that’s not such a dramatic change but it is still a constant “on the job” improvement of our life. Our testimony is kept intact, the message remains.
When I quit smoking “cold turkey” more than 20 years ago, it was a dramatic change as I started to like to eat more and more like some sort of substitute remedy. Partly age and partly reduced metabolism, as well as a more sedentary lifestyle spent hours at the desk; over the last mote than 20 years I have put on nearly 30 kgs! From thin and scrawny to an overweight fat boy! Quiting smoking helped my health in the long run and is a good testimony. Fortunately, because of Christ in me, I did not turn to drugs or drink and became an addict or alcoholic. But the testimony needs to be maintained. So, I need to lose weight (good for my long term health too) and over the past two years, I have lost around 5 kg and hopefully over the next two years, I will lose another 5 kg. I will never get back to my weight during my smoking days but at least there will be a constant change.
From mess to message; to me, it’s a constant thing. No need a big mess to start with. Any mess will do. The thing is to make it into a message for Christ, big or small, little or major. We are all “work in progress” but we must be constantly transforming pieces of “work in progress”, not stagnant or regressive and thus denying God’s workmanship and glory!
Ronnie's Thoughts 