The Master Edit

I am buried in editing.

Roaring Lambs Ministries is about to publish a book of powerful testimonies called Stories of Roaring Faith, and I am blessed to be one of the editors and compilers.

Editing can be rewarding, but it can also be frustrating. Just when you think the book is perfect, another editor finds mistakes or punctuation errors you’ve missed.

Ugh! “Studder” instead of “Stutter” (I knew that looked funny), commas instead of semicolons, extra spaces throughout (thought I caught all those). It’s humbling.

While editing draws forth the imperfections in someone’s writing, it also reminds the editor he or she’s not perfect either.

I believe our lives are like a book and God is the Editor.

With one difference.

He’s a perfect Editor because he doesn’t miss any flaw or mistake we’ve made, or will make. Hebrews 4:13 says “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

We may try to hide our imperfections from the rest of the world, but God sees them and can make the necessary edits if we give him control of our lives.

Perhaps you’ve already been through the editing process numerous times. Has God erased unhealthy behavior, crossed out painful memories and removed strongholds that nearly strangled you? These life issues can take us down if we don’t turn them over to the Chief Editor, God.

One of the most difficult things authors have to do is to release their books for publishing. They always think What if I missed something? They probably did. In my second book with co-author Catherine Weiskopf, If I Only Had…, we found ten punctuation errors before we went to a second printing. We had been through the first manuscript countless times, and hired two professional editors to look at it as well.

So just like a book, we too are a work in progress until we die. We will never be perfect. God knows that, and loves us anyway. Philippians 1:6 says we should be confident that “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

God is editing us until our last breath, or his Son returns, whatever comes first!

If you haven’t already started the life editing process, are you willing to turn over your personal story to God? This means giving him every day, every minute and every fiber of your being to him?

If the answer is yes, then release all to God today and trust the Master edit. When we go through the process we find we still aren’t perfect, but we emerge looking a little more like our Father’s perfect Son, Jesus. (LBW)