God is a Stripper
Feb 25th 2008Jeremy MyersLife
God is a stripper. No, not that kind. (Though if you believe Jesus, strippers are probably closer to the Kingdom of God than many religious people - Matt 21:31.)
When I say “God is a stripper” I am reminded of a “looking for work” advertisement I saw in the newspaper a few years ago. At the top of the ad in big bold letters it said, “I’ll strip for you!” This ad was placed by a lady who owned a furniture stripping company. She was offering to strip and refinish your wood furniture. If you have ever tried to refinished your furniture, you know how valuable her services are. If I had to refinish the antique table my wife and I own, I would hire a stripper.
But all of us have something more important than our furniture, and that is our life. And in the life of every single one of us there are blemishes and defects. We all have areas of our life that need to be refinished, refined, or removed. And when we pray, “God, make me usable to you! Make me into the kind of person who can do great things for you!” He comes in and begins stripping away all in your life that holds you back and drags you down. He makes you into something useful.
Such a process is long and painful. It feels as if God has abandoned or forgotten about you. But when you emerge out the other side, you are beautiful and usable for His purposes.
3 Comments »
Exiles
The Tangible Kingdom
The Multiplying Church
Perspectives
An Unstoppable Force
Stripped
Carl on 25 Feb 2008 at 6:27 pm #
You have a flair for the shock effect. My wife recently refinished a couple pieces of furniture and did a great job of it. After reading your blog I told her she should start a business doing stripping but she wasn’t as impressed with the humor of it. I got the “look”.
Michelle on 26 Feb 2008 at 7:45 am #
Search me O God and know my heart, try me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.
I’ve prayed this prayer for years. It’s not been an easy life, but I am glad to say I am not the same person I was. The stripping can be very painful.
Jeremy Myers on 26 Feb 2008 at 10:06 am #
Carl, Hey! I am not sure how much stripping pays…furniture stripping that is…so your wife will probably want to keep her day job…
Michelle, that is an excellent prayer to pray and will lead to God stripping you of some things. Prayers are dangerous! I am doing a post today about a prayer I’ve been praying for over about twelve years now.