Nothing had changed…

A restaurant that we knew of in our community had changed names and had a major outward makeover. It looked to be a good change. The old establishment was not one we ate at. The grounds and decorations were out of date, and the type of food was not native to our area.

I still wasn’t sure about going and trying it out. I asked a business owner that was across the way from the newly changed restaurant if their business seemed to improve? “Yes. Since they made the changes it seems more busy.” he replied in a broken accent. I commented that it looked very nice. I asked him if they had new owners or had switched managers. Usually that is what happens when the name or appearance of a restaurant is changed. He said it was the same owners. Just a different name; they had changed the outward appearance of the building and changed the sign – but it was still the same menu. The food was the same. That was disappointing to hear. Nothing on the inside had changed. It sounded like a scam to me; a marketing ploy to attract new business or even possibly fix a financial issue. The outward change and new name literally was a facade. That did it for me. I was not going to try the “new” restaurant in town.

I have to tell you what they renamed the restaurant. HOOK! They named it Hook. I laughed as I thought of the spiritual truth behind the name and the representation it was for the newly “changed” restaurant. I began to think about how this related to the world and us Believers. There is an authentic transformation that happens by the blood and Spirit of Jesus Christ within you when you give your heart to Him. You allow Him to come inside and do the transforming from the inside out. As my friends say “Jesus does an inside out job”. We can do a lot of the outside transforming ourselves through excessive exercise, surgical procedures, fancy clothes and even by the car we drive. But if the inside of us is not changed then it’s simply a facade. We are misleading and misrepresenting Christ in us. A person’s character and integrity is more important to me than the job they have, clothes they wear or car they drive. All the outward appearance things can be deceptive. Deception is from the father of lies himself, Satan. We know the majority of the world does not operate with Kingdom of God principles but those of us who do, need to begin to be the example so those around us. We must operate with Kingdom mentality. It is such a let down when someone who seems to have it all together on the outside, with the bank account to match, opens their mouth and out comes something that does not match the excellence they are portraying. I want my excellence to start in my heart and my mind. So that when I open my mouth excellence comes out. I want what I am representing on the outside to be confirmed by what is on the inside and vice versa. I just want Jesus to come out and I want Jesus to be seen. I tried it the other way around when I first worked in the business world and it was not profitable to my spirit. It was profitable to my pocket book but I did not have peace about that. When Jesus truly got ahold of my heart and I surrendered, there was only one way I could do things and that was His way. I never want to be a portrayal of something I’m not. When Christ came into my life and I made a covenant with Him my motives became pure. I died to the old person I once was. So much so that people took notice. The transformation was evident! The only thing I did that I can take credit for is I chose to partner with the Lord in what He wanted to do in me. Then by faith in action one step at a time, one old thought at a time, one old habit at a time, He changed me. He designed us for greatness, excellence and with a hope for a future to reign with Him. I can’t reign with Him if all I’m ever doing is worrying about fixing up the landscaping and updating the decorations. I can’t reign with Him even if I change my name. A new name and updated outward appearance doesn’t make me the excellence He designed and desires me to be. It may fool people for a while but eventually they will find out the truth about what is inside and what has not changed. So be real, be authentic with your walk in Christ; striving to obtain the prize. Persevering by partnering with Him to be the best representation you can be for Him.

2 Corinthians 5:15-20 and He died for all, so that all those who live would no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and was raised for their sake. So from now on we regard no one from a human point of view according to worldly standards and values. Though we have known Christ from a human point of view, now we no longer know Him in this way. Therefore if anyone is in Christ that is, grafted in, joined to Him by faith in Him as Savior, he is a new creature reborn and renewed by the Holy Spirit; the old things the previous moral and spiritual condition have passed away. Behold, new things have come because spiritual awakening brings a new life. But all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ making us acceptable to Him and gave us the ministry of reconciliation so that by our example we might bring others to Him, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting people’s sins against them but canceling them. And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation that is, restoration to favor with God. So we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making His appeal through us; we as Christ’s representatives plead with you on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God. (Amplified Bible)

Dee White

Dee White has been walking with the Lord for over 20 years and has found a way to use her God given gifts, personal experiences and passions to minister to others. She has walked the road of depression, anxiety and suffered with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. The Lord has completely transformed her and she has been delivered and healed from all of them. As an artist and disciple of Jesus she finds great comfort in writing and loves to share her heart and the heart of the Father through devotions, storytelling or her art. She is passionate about seeing others set free and living a victorious life in Christ.

She has resided in South Carolina for 10 years and attends Bridgeway Church in Greenville, SC with her husband and two children.