Lemon aid

I have a dependable car. It was not always thus. The first several vehicles I owned were my first experience with gambling; the odds on getting where I was going were rarely in my favor. The rule seemed to be “If life gives you lemons, sell ‘em to Mike and laugh all the way to the bank.” I had a ‘65 Mustang; great car, right? Except this one had been in a wreck and the frame was bent, grinding the tread off my tires every couple of weeks.
I had a car which had the lovable quirk of catching on fire about once a month. I was driving another car down the street when the driveshaft just…fell…out…on the ground. On another vehicle, the back wheels would lock up occasionally, causing the tires to screech loudly and pedestrians to look around in fear. I grew accustomed to hearing mechanics say that sentence that you never want to hear: “Wow, I never saw one do that before!”
Eventually, I experienced the thrill of buying a new car. That smell! That shiny chrome! That warranty! I could at last drive without fearing that something might explode or fall off at any moment. It was an entirely new level of confidence and peace of mind.
I think that’s why the Bible says that when we begin a relationship with God through Jesus, we become new creations. Would you buy a used car from God? You can’t. All He has are brand-new models. God doesn’t just set our odometers back a few miles. He doesn’t slap a sticker on us that says “As Is.” No, we come off the assembly line shiny and new, with no miles on us, no scratches, a host of new accessories, and a warranty for a billion years or a billion miles, whichever comes last. So what are we supposed to do? Sit in the garage? No, we’re supposed to get out and go. And don’t just be a Sunday driver, either; show off that newness every day of the week.