I love pumpkins. Mostly to look at and eat. They make just about everything in pumpkin these days – pancakes, popcorn, chips, coffee, even pasta. Those who know me will not be surprised that I don’t carve pumpkins. Me trying to use a knife on something that big could be dangerous. I almost had a butternut squash incident lately. And the inside of a pumpkin is yucky.
I’m certainly not the first one to come up with this analogy, but a Christian is like a pumpkin. Not round and orange but in other ways:) When we cut a pumpkin open and get the yucky stuff out, it provides us with a picture of how God takes us and cleanses us from our sins. He carefully removes our seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. He then replaces them with seeds of faith, hope, and love. We are no longer captive to sin, or the shame that comes with it. We are made new in Christ! The carving of the smiling face illustrates how God makes us a new creation.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come. The old has gone, the new is here!
2 Corinthians 5:17
But He isn’t done with us yet. I don’t know about you but my yuck tries to creep back in “my pumpkin”. It’s an ongoing transformation process of molding us, shaping us, and carving us to be more like Jesus. There are ongoing corrections that will take place throughout our lives.
As we put a light in a pumpkin after it’s carved, He puts His light inside us to shine in a dark world for others to see. Goodness knows we need light in the world now so let it shine!
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:14-16
P.S. Credit for the title to Dr. Dan Lyons. If you live in Winston-Salem area and don’t have a home church, check us out at Maple Springs UMC, the “pumpkin church” on Reynolda Road.
