Overhauled Once And For All

leejohndrowteamIn my dream a client of mine called me every day for a new part. Earlier in the year he had made the purchase of a computer. Each day he would call and tell me what he needed to make it better. Make it run faster. Early on I had “found” this “part number” that allowed him to completely overhaul his computer. One time. Once and for all. Never to have to work on it again. His answer was “no”, that he would keep on doing it his way.

Interesting dream. It frustrated me for him. There is “no program” like that in my work place. We sell things like “care packs” that mean someone will come to your workplace and “fix” it but nothing like the dream. We have a program that comes with “assurance” that means each time there is an upgrade, you get it “free”. But nothing that does it all “once and for all”.

I awoke from that dream trying to remember if we sold something like that. No. Was there ever anything like that? No.

As I sat there meditating on it, I knew God was talking about sin. And people.

For too many years I went through my walk with Him, identifying sin in my life and the lives of others. I believed you could simply fix it. How wrong I was! I bought every book there was. Read everything I could find and yet there were things that evaded me.

I got better but I knew when I yelled at someone, there was something “wrong”. If I hurt someone, there was something that needed to be fixed. For the longest time I lived with the idea that if I could just keep God on the throne of my heart and not take it over myself, I would be okay. But each slip or fall, made me realize my way was “not working”. I needed “one more part, one more piece”.

And I began to read my bible on sin. I was focused on change. Others tried to tell me there was a “one time” fix that was out there, but I was too stubborn, too blind. And then one day some years ago, as I read about Christ and the cross, I heard these words “I DID THIS FOR YOU!” Instantly I was taken back to a trip to my daughter’s spelling bee, where Christ had appeared in my front seat. Broken and bloodied, He said, “I did this for you”. I struggled to look at Him in the car, but finally I turned to Him. His eyes took my life over, the love was so strong, so deep. I went to that meeting and people could not sit next to me. My daughter said, “there is glowing dust on you!” I had an encounter. As He spoke to me this second time with the same words it felt like He was “yelling” at me. In that moment, “I got it”.

From that day on I realized the reality of the scriptures, Romans 8:1-2, Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. Set free. No longer were my eyes on me, on my issues, but they were on Him, the issue settled once and for all. My life changed. It became easier. The slips and falls, they began to go away. Quickly. Only when I take my eyes off Him and put them on me, do I seem to encounter them.

It is from that place we move onward and upward. My friend in the dream, he wants to keep fixing things. My friends who walk in the law, they still believe it is on them to “fix things”. For me, I have come to believe it was one time for all time.

Today my prayer is for you to receive a new understanding of the “overhaul” God did in your life. How there is an “incorruptible” seed that has been placed in your life when you receive Him. It requires no more parts, no upgrades, no fixes…just total acceptance of what He has done for you.

Written by Lee Johndrow

Lee Johndrow

Lee is the Senior Leader of Abundant Grace Fellowship Church in Keene, NH

He is the father of five wonderful children. Married for over 26 years to his wife Tina. Loving life with family, friends, faith, fun and food!


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