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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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Please take a moment to share your thoughts about today’s message below.
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I like you Brian despise painting to the core. I’d rather dig a 3’ x 50’ trench, lol. This was perfect! Thank you.
Alex
Great analogy! Be blessed my friend!
Brian
Brian, hit that one out of the park!
Katherine
Apparently that was the one powerful outcome of the painting project.
Brian
Dear Brian,
Fabulous and so timely. I have been painting the barn red railings and a hundred plus 2X2 posts grey. several times I little smidges of grey and the red railings. Each time I tried to wipe clean but never 100 %. I love paiting as my Dad was a perfect painter and thus I feel close to him. Thanks to you , as always, I will breath easier from now on. God bless you Brian,
Barrie Heinzenknecht
A good meditation for me this morning. Thanks, Brian.
Great analogy. I will now look at the bathroom I recently painted in a much different way. Through the sacrament of penance, my confessor has been telling me this same message for a while now. Not to focus on the sin as much as to focus to focus on the love God has for me.
Years ago, I said a friend would not point out the flaws of a newly painted room and a true friend would not look for them.
God bless.
Don Mike
Thanks for your post and for your deep faith. You inspire all who know you.
Brian
This definitely hits home. We’re in the process of having some home improvements done and I can see the pain of wanting perfection. It reminds me that I need to work on my own improvements. I know I won’t ever be perfect but I sure need to work harder!
Andrea
Good luck with your project. We all need to work harder for sure.
Brian
Brian, I loved your message today. It was something of which I need to be frequently reminded. You are such a blessing to so many. God Bless you.
Jane
Thank you for your very kind words. We all need this reminder.
Brian
Do you know where there are any silent retreats near Georgia?
Do you know where there are any silent retreats near Georgia? Thanks
I know of the House of Prayer in Clearwater Florida. (I hope they are spread by the storm.)
There is the Trappist Monastery at Mepkin Appy
And I know of St Francis Springs in Stoneville, NC
And Finally The Monastery of St. Clare in Travelers Rest, SC
I realize these are not in Georgia, but they are ones I know of and these are really good places for retreat.
Brian
Great reminder. As we await Hurricane Milton to hit Florida, it is with much prayer I am grateful for all I have been blessed with and pray that our State survives the destruction we are headed for. My heart goes out to all those is NC snd surrounding states. Their courage and faith will help me tremendously as this storm lands in our state. 🙏🙏.
Susan
I am praying for everyone’s safety! Thanks for your post!
Brian