Perhaps you dislike painting as much as I do. It is one of my least favorite home maintenance projects. Plus, I am not that good at it. I recently tackled the job of repainting our lower-level bathroom. As I was finishing, I discovered something. Can painting a room teach us something about our faith journey? Find out in today’s message.

Where we live, we had a cold front stall out and for three days before Hurricane Helene hit. It dumped lots of rain before Helene brought its destructive deluge. Bored, unable to get outside to do anything, and out of excuses, I begrudgingly took on the task of painting the bathroom. I had postponed this long enough. It took me a couple of days, because I first had to strip wallpaper and repair the walls. Finally, the stripping, puttying, sanding, edging around the ceiling and trim, and painting were complete. My wife told me it looked great. I thought differently.

As I stood back to admire my freshly painted bathroom, my heart sank. Instead of seeing the new color that now adorned the walls, my eyes were immediately drawn to every imperfection. The spots where the putty hadn’t been sanded properly, the tiny splatters of paint on the trim, and the uneven strokes in the corners. Each flaw seemed to scream at me, overshadowing the majority of the room that looked great. I’ve never been fond of painting, and seeing these mistakes only deepened my dislike for the task.

This experience got me thinking about how we, as Christians, often view our own lives. Just as I focused on the imperfections in my painting, we tend to zero in on our own flaws and shortcomings. We are acutely aware of our sins, our failures, and our weaknesses. This self-critical nature can sometimes overshadow the good within us, making it difficult to see the beauty of God’s creation in ourselves.In our Christian journey, we strive for holiness and perfection, but we are human and inherently imperfect. The Bible reminds us that, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This acknowledgment of our imperfection is not meant to discourage us but to remind us of our need for God’s grace and mercy.

When I look at the flaws in my painting, sure I am reminded of my personal flaws and sinfulness, but even more so, I am reminded of God’s mercy and grace. Just as I can go back and touch up the paint, we can turn to God to seek forgiveness and healing. I firmly believe that grace is imparted through the confession of our sins. We can never lose sight of the fact that God’s mercy is greater than our imperfections. It is through His grace that we are made whole again.

Moreover, focusing too much on our imperfections can lead to a kind of spiritual paralysis. We become so consumed with our faults that we fail to see the good we are capable of. Saint Teresa of Avila once said, “It is not humility to think we cannot do anything good, but it is humility to recognize that we can do nothing without God.” Recognizing our dependence on God allows us to see our worth and the good we can accomplish with His help.

In the same way, I need to step back and appreciate the overall transformation of my bathroom. Yes, there are flaws, but the room is now brighter and more inviting. Similarly, we need to recognize the positive changes in our lives and the good we do, even if we are not perfect. God sees the entirety of our being, not just our flaws. He sees our efforts, our love, and our desire to grow closer to Him.

We are all called to strive for holiness, but we must also remember that perfection is not attainable in this life. Our journey is one of continuous growth and conversion. We must learn to see ourselves through God’s eyes, with love and compassion, acknowledging our imperfections but not letting them define us.

A final observation occurred to me. If there is one thing I like even less than painting it is the cleanup. I truly dislike cleaning the brushes, roller pads, and the rest of the mess. In doing so this time, it occurred to me that God is cleaning up our messes all of the time. I am so thankful that He appears to take delight in cleaning us up and making us new again.

So now, with my painting supplies put away, I have the opportunity to look at the bathroom and choose to focus on the improvement rather than the imperfections. I am reminded that just as the room is a work in progress, so am I. I know that with God’s grace, we will all continue to grow and improve, one brushstroke at a time.

Heavenly Father, I am constantly reminded of my flaws and imperfections. But I am also aware of your mercy and forgiveness. Help me to continually strive for holiness and help me to see myself as you see me, a work in progress. Grant me strength to persevere in weakness, and the hope of eternal life with you. I ask this in the name of Jesus Your Son. Amen!   

AMDG 

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Brian Pusateri
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