More than 18 months ago, our son, Andrew, took a position with the Rahal racing family. He is in charge of their paint protection business and I have learned more about auto paint and protection systems than I ever thought possible.
Even though Janet and I have bought our share of used vehicles throughout the years, we really are fans of new cars. We have a habit of driving them for ten years or so – just because we get used to them and really don’t put on that many miles. But one of the things that has always bothered me is the fact that some auto paints don’t hold up as well as others. I remember a luxury car we used to have that was an awesome road car we used on trips, but every little thing that hit the hood left a pock mark or chipped the paint. I actually had the hood re-painted once because I thought it looked so bad.
Some of our other cars had paint that held up better but the vehicles weren’t as comfortable on the road. Since Janet and I would rather drive than fly, if possible, it is imperative that we have a comfortable car for Janet to ride in with her rheumatoid arthritis. It seemed like an oxymoron. Why can’t we get a great ride and great paint as well?
A number of years ago, we ended up with another luxury car after the airbag fiasco that you may recall from years ago. The dealer was worried about Janet being hurt in the front seat if there should be an accidental deployment of the airbags, so she had to ride in the back seat and I felt like I was driving Miss Daisy. Clearly, that didn’t work out too well and we decided to buy another auto while the other dealership dealt with replacing the airbags (seven months later).
She loved her new car, the first time we have bought that brand, and Janet still has it eight years later. It’s been a wonderful addition but like so many others, the paint seems a little soft. We liked it so much that when it came time for me to get another car, I bought the same brand, only a large touring sedan rather than a smaller SUV.
When Andrew started to educate us about protective paint film (PPF) and ceramic coatings, it really changed our views of vehicle maintenance. Both cars went in for “paint correction”, getting rid of the swirls and defects that showed up after years of use and runs through the car wash. Then, the cars had film applied and ceramic on top of that! Even the wheels were protected.
The reason that I ‘m sharing all this is that I recently visited a client and stayed in an upscale hotel while I was there. Unfortunately, the valet drove the car into the curb, damaging both passenger wheels and the front bumper. Working with the hotel has been great, but it has been frustrating to get everything back to the way it should be. The wheels were covered under a road warranty that we have and the film on the bumper did its job and protected the paint finish on the car. I was thrilled with the report. No body scuffs, no paint repair or visits to the body shop. Mind you, this wasn’t some full on collision, but sometimes the devil is in the details with these sorts of repairs. I’m sold on protecting our cars in the future. No question about it.
We all have a similar way to protect ourselves and keep us from harm. Jesus is our protector and our Savior. Not only that, but we don’t have to pay for being covered with protection. It’s a free gift that is ours after our declaration of Jesus as Lord and Savior of our lives. Nothing can harm us once we make this declaration. And I’m here to tell you that as good as paint protective film (PPF) is, it doesn’t hold a candle to the protection that we get from God.
Our verse for tonight is from Paul’s letter to his most theologically mature church located in Ephesus. Paul tells his congregation in Ephesians 6:10-18, “Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.”
Wow, that’s quite a protection package, isn’t it? Paul lets us know that we can successfully fight the advances of Satan and protect ourselves with the full armor of God. That’s great news for us. My encouragement this evening is that God offers us free eternal protection if we will just accept His offer of salvation. Of course, we have to know about this great thing that we can do. We need to be educated and that’s where the Bible comes in. It is the instruction manual for how to live our best lives and points us to the Lord. My prayer is that we will all continue to educate ourselves in the Word of God, one of the ways that God communicates with us in addition to prayer and Christian brotherhood, the community of the saints. Have a great day in the Lord, grace and peace…