On the outskirts of New York City stood a little, old shack. The place was run-down with cracked windows, a leaky roof and a garden overgrown with weeds. There were, however, some beautiful old trees which shaded the shack and made the property attractive. Old Mr. Brooks, the owner, was a wrinkled and bent-over old man. He never moved very far from his fireside in winter or from the shade of his trees in summer.
In the busy city nearby, Mr. Parker, a millionaire, was making plans to build a new home. As he drove around searching for a nice piece of property on which to build a new house, he came across Mr. Brooks’ property. The beautiful setting and the lovely old trees seemed like just what he wanted, so he sent his agent to see if the old man would sell his property.
Mr. Brooks was surprised and delighted with the agent’s offer to buy the property. He thought it was wonderful that a millionaire would want to buy his home. He agreed to sell it, and after the agent left he got to work quickly.
In an old cupboard in his basement, Mr. Brooks dug around and found a hammer, some nails and even some old paint and a brush. For almost two weeks he hammered, patched, repaired and painted.
Finally the agent returned and looked quite surprised when he saw what had been done to the old shack. Putting his hand on the old man’s shoulder, he said quietly, “Mr. Brooks, I’m afraid you misunderstood me. Mr. Parker doesn’t want your old house. He would never think of living in it. What he wants is your property.”
Poor old Mr. Brooks. All his time and effort fixing up his home was for nothing. The old shack was just going to be torn down.
Many boys and girls (and grown-ups too) are doing the very same thing that Mr. Brooks tried to do. They hear about God and decide that they would like to be good enough for God to love them. So they try to fix up their lives by obeying Mother and Dad, going to Sunday school, and maybe even reading their Bibles. But all those things, like the old man’s nails and paint, are not what God wants.
God wants you to come to Him just as you are. He tells us that “all our righteousnesses [good works] are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)), and warns us that “not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us” (Titus 3:55Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; (Titus 3:5)). Although He hates your sins, He loves you and sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to die for you.
Don’t try to fix up yourself for God. Just come to Him admitting that you are a sinner, and accept His love for you.
ML-10/20/1996