Crowns

Dental x-rays do not lie. When cracks appear around a critical wisdom tooth with an old filling, “wisdom” dictates a crown.
Dentist: “Do you have any questions?”
Patient: Yes. What is: 1. The process?  2. The pain?  3. The price?
The answer: Two hours of grinding and drilling, with numbed gums, for a cool $1200. Two weeks later, the crown is set in place, restoring the tooth.
This three-point plan can be transferred to the area of spiritual growth.  If our lives are to be restored to the perfection God intends, there is a process. We must submit to the removal of old “fixes,” and allow the Holy Spirit to drill deep into the heart to remove the decay, then grind us into the shape He desires. Is there pain? Yes! Seeing our sin for what it is is always painful. Making confession and restitution hurts our pride and lays bare our need of new construction. The price includes the consequences for wrong decisions.
In the end, the crown God promises covers more than an old tooth. He crowns our lives with blessing, acceptance, forgiveness and love. 
 
Next Steps...
I will allow God to remove anything that prevents me from receiving and giving love as He intends.