Life: Before HMC and After HMC

I’m sure that you’ve seen those before and after pictures in ads for diet pills. The before picture always features some tremendously out-of-shape obese guy. The after picture then shows him looking trim, sculpted, and usually holding out the waistband of his old pants, which are now many sizes too big. The ad then tells the story about how this particular diet plan melted off the pounds in record time.

Whether or not you believe those amazing testimonials, there is an even more amazing before and after picture that is not only believable but available as well. It’s the picture of your life before and after Jesus.

The before picture would show how purposeless, sometimes burdened, often confused, searching, and sinful your life really was. The Bible is pretty clear about our condition before we met Jesus. It describes us as being lost, broken, guilty, condemned, and even “enemies” of God.

But then we met Him. Realizing that He wasn’t chasing us down with the sheriff’s posse to lock us up for our sin, we repentantly responded to His amazing offer of mercy and grace. Thanks to Jesus, our before picture now lays in pieces amidst the rubble of our past lives, and we have the privilege of stepping up to have our after snapshot taken.

But, I wonder—what would that picture look like?

When Scripture talks about “good works,” it’s a lot more than going to church every Sunday and tithing. Good works are actions that reflect God’s mercy, grace, compassion, and righteousness. It’s the action of loving others, even when they aren’t all that loveable; forgiving; reaching out to the poor and disadvantaged; caring for the lost and the losers; being patient and tolerant with the faults and failures of others; serving the needs of others without clamoring for applause; providing the fruits of righteousness for those around us to be blessed by.

Here’s a good way to think of it. Our after picture ought to be a duplicate picture of the good works that God has so generously showered on us. In fact, His good works in our lives are like a workout seminar on how to treat and respond to others.  

When I see the after pictures in diet ads, I often wonder what the person looks like now. Believe me, I know what it’s like to trim down only to lose sight of the goal and chub back up again. So, let’s not lose sight of the goal.

You’ve been saved to be an ad for the glory of God’s goodness in your life and His good work through you to the lives of others. So what’s your after picture looking like today? Shed the excess fat of your past and let His glory show because KAMI SUDAH PULIHHH!!!

My dear friends, I once blogged about the difference of life with and without God before. But again I still want to share again…

"hidup tanpa Tuhan membosankan in the long run.. hidup dengan Tuhan is always full of surprises…"

p.s: I wanna take this oppurtunity to apologize to everyone; all of you my friends, for all the unbiblical deeds I did since we met.. I apologize for the words/language I use is sometimes unethical and hurt your feelings; I apologize for I’m selfish, ignorant, boastful, overboard, stubborn, disappointing, vulgar… (and of course the list goes on). But, at this point of time, I really want to start afresh like a newborn baby. I promise I’ll do my outmost best not to hurt you again.. so that our relationship will get even better and stronger. My dear beloved friends, will you forgive me?