Would You Like t Upgrade?

Since we have such a hope, we are very bold, not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. But when one turns to the Lord, the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:12-18 ESV). In our modern world, those who are in retail sales are constantly working to help us upgrade in our purchase. In any type of merchandise purchase we are always shown and asked if we want to go a little bigger or better. With some purchases there are dozens of options that may be chosen as well. All of these upgrades enhance the basic level of performance and comfort from the same model. Our world markets everything as new and improved, upgrading the heart of something without changing its external appearance is a bit bizarre. But bizarre doesn’t mean bad in a world of façade and spin. Improving from the inside out is nearly always best. We heal best from our physical wounds from the inside out. Good health programs don’t just focus on making the outward appearance look better, they stress cardiovascular improvement, and they want to improve our heart. In much the same way, we grow best spiritually when we grow from the inside out. While external appearance may be our most important personal attribute to others, God doesn’t look at our outward appearance, but at our heart. So how do Christians say to God, “Upgrade me, please?”  First, we confess our sins and shortcomings ask God to truly upgrade us—to make our heart new and pure.  Second, we ask God to continue to transform us to be more like Jesus through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Third, we regularly put good and holy materials into our hearts to renew our thoughts and clarify our focus through what we read, see, pray, and sing.  Fourth, we obey what we know to be the clear will of God in our daily lives to honor Jesus as our Lord trusting that he is doing the work of transformation on our hearts. Don’t you need to upgrade today? It is easy to do: “…as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.”