Lie #1: No Restoration Needed

I love the idea of thrift store shopping in search for old pieces of furniture that need a little love and TLC. I am sure there is something so rewarding about finding that chair that is borderline dumpster real estate and instead reinstating it into that prized piece that sits front and center in the living room. In fact, I love the idea so much I will watch others restore those items I can only see as junk and almost envy them for their talent. Yes, it is a talent because you are reading the words of someone who cannot restore furniture. Oh, I love the result, but the process? Not my cup of tea. How people can see the end product while the chair sits in GoodWill is beyond me.

I have many friends who can do this. They are restorers by nature. They take the old and make it new. I recently had an opportunity to go camping with some of those friends as well as many other young adults from my church. It was such a sweet time filled with laughter, rich memories, and solid time planted in God’s word . However, there was this odd dichotomy happening amidst the laughter and late night game sessions. I was so very aware of the hurt, brokenness, and difficulty among my friends’ hearts--mine included. I found myself by the river one morning reflecting on the brokenness in my own life and was drawn to the all too familiar words I have taken for granted time and time again. I was reading through Psalm 23, literally sitting in a green pasture by (almost) still waters, and I got stuck on the promise “He restores my soul”.

I couldn’t move past those words because I didn’t like what this phrase implied. Here’s the reality of the statement: If God restores my soul, then there is restoration to be had. This is not my favorite reality! I would so much rather have a soul that never has to be restored. It’s kind of like how I would much rather buy an old chair that has the rich history ALREADY restored by someone else. I’m not a fan of brokenness and hurt. I get tired of the tears and sleepless nights, and I even find myself doubting God’s goodness in these moments. I get caught up and think this pain shouldn’t even happen if I’m walking and following Jesus.

But friends, that is the lie the enemy wants me to believe. The enemy wants me to believe that when pain happens, God doesn’t know, doesn’t care or doesn’t hear. The enemy wants me to believe that there cannot be a good God amongst dark days.

However, as a follower of Jesus, I use his words as my standard of truth, not what the enemy tries to convince me of. So what is the truth? When we walk with Jesus, there are going to be times our soul needs restoration. Valleys, shadows, and difficulty will be company along the way. It is all over scripture and it makes sense. We live in a broken world filled with broken things. David screams out for God’s deliverance time and time again in the midst of his pain, Paul discusses the need for endurance and perseverance, even Jesus himself assures us that we will weep and wail, and he’s a pro on how it feels to suffer . Ugh! This truth stings, and I’m not necessarily a fan.

Are you ready for another truth though? This one is good. Our broken souls have a restorer. Read that line again! It’s kind of like that silly chair I was talking about earlier. That worn out thrift store chair has gone through the ringer--it has a history, and chipped off paint, and could use some true love and restoration. And I bet that if that chair had feelings, it wouldn’t love that process of restoration. However, we all have seen that worn down chair in the end. It becomes a beautiful masterpiece that steals everyone’s attention when they walk into a room. You know the best part about it? The chair wasn’t even restored back to it’s original status--it was made better. Our allowance of Jesus restoring us is a similar process. When we allow Jesus to meet us in the brokeness, He does this amazing thing in the depths of our very beings. He restores. It's a process, and sometimes a very lengthy one (tune into lie #2 for more on the timeliness of God’s work), but he does it. It’s one of the many promises he gives us, and he stays true to his word, even when we don’t understand it or can see it.

I do not know where you are in the midst of your pain, and the last thing I want to do is minimize it. In fact, I almost want to do the opposite and say yes! I know it hurts and it seems unfair. But keep going. Keep persevering. Know that the pain is real and here, but you have the ultimate restorer.

Ok, I have to tell you one more truth because it is even bigger and better. Had that broken, worn out the world I was talking about? That gets taken care of too. Jesus said in John 16:33 “You will have suffering in this world. Be courageous! I have conquered the world.”. Conquered! That is a powerful word. He overcomes this world, he has the victory, all of it will be restored back to what the original intent was.

Don’t hang on to the lie that when we follow Jesus all is easy and hurt free. This broken world offers broken things that end in hurt. Instead, claim the truth that we serve a God who restores the inevitable tired and worn out soul.