Time for a fresh coat of paint or should I say vinyl. Time to update the look for 2016. Funny thing is, the best appearing car in January isn’t necessarily the championship car in October. Our character has to be more than window dressing. We need to have something underneath. Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I was looking at some pictures the other day of a car being wrapped. It went from plain white to this beautiful race car in a few short hours, amazing. The transformation was complete, this was now a race car. Or was it?

I am reminded of a conversation I had in a McDonald’s parking lot out on the Island. A young fellow came up to the pace car, attracted by the decals. He asked, “What other modifications have you made? If it looks like this on the outside, you better have something on the inside to back it up.”

I assured him that it was capable and if he would like to have a go I was willing. He declined and we talked about all kinds of options we have to put some power under the hood. That led to others conversations about more significant things.

Let me ask the same question; “I see the outside, is there any modifications we have made to put some power on the inside?”

We all know what a sleeper is, but there aren’t too many people that fall into that category. You know, the outside looks rough and worn but the inside is tender, gracious and kind. Most times it is the other way around, we look great on the outside but our inside is just a mess. It doesn’t have to be that way.

Romans 8:1-4; nlt, So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit.

We can all have the power in us to live a life that reflects the character of God. God will send His Spirit to us if we ask. When we accept the sacrifice that Christ made for us and invite Him into our lives God sends the Holy Spirit to live in us. The Holy Spirit works in us to reveal the character of God.

Paul reveals what that looks like in Galatians 5:22-23, nlt;

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

I would like to say I possess all these traits in abundance. The fact remains I don’t. I have the potential too, but that may require a body off restoration! We need to allow God to shape us and mold us into the person He created us to be.

I liken it to being in the garage area and hearing a page for a specific engine builder to go to a specific car. He built the power plant but it needs some fine tuning to get the best out of it. He knows what it is capable of doing with the right adjustments. With his tools in hand he adjusts, measures, adjusts, listens, and adjusts until it is running at peak performance.

We can be more than window dressing if we allow the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and transform us into the image of God. We don’t have to present a great outside while our insides are all messed up. The power of God can free us if we let him. There is no condemnation for us if we are in Christ Jesus, The power of God has freed us from the power of the enemy!

We need to realize that if we don’t do something to correct the situation we will never know the freedom and power of God. I am not saying it is easy, I am saying it is worth the effort. We all need some adjustments.

It will be beneficial for us to take a look at the character traits of God that He places in us through the Holy Spirit. Can you commit to be with me for the next few weeks as we spend some time in God’s Word? Let’s take that journey together and see if we can’t make some modifications under the hood to reveal the power God has given us.

Amen!

Remember God loves you and Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing! God Bless and Thank You for your prayerful support it helps us continue this ministry.