Philippians 1:6 being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
My husband occasionally has a side job of putting finishing trim in newly built houses. He had just such a job on a house a couple months ago. I was with him on the run for the day and got to see the brand spanking new beauty. I walked in and my jaw dropped.It was not too large, not too small, just perfect. I, being woman, immediately pictured myself , my three kids and husband in it. Living , loving, Ah life ! It was just the right space. It was perfect ! However the price was not perfect, and when the job was done we headed back to our little fixer upper, AKA "our cottage!" My husband asked me right away on the drive home what was wrong? I guess it showed all over my face. I wanted perfect. I wanted that perfect home, new, bright , fresh. Not one thing to do in it but decorate, decorate , decorate! But I knew it was about two doctor careers out of our budget. I sulked a little and then we returned to the home the Lord has blessed us with. I picked my pouty heart up and thanked the Lord for our little cottage. Then I think I began doing the dishes :)
Now, two months later, we have begun a remodel. You see our home is far from perfect,but we do have a vision for it. So three weeks ago my husband did the first major task of taking a hammer to a wall that separated our kitchen from our living room. The dust was everywhere. 1100 sq feet and broken dry wall and sawed off 2 x 4s can make any woman want to scream. However as the wall came down my vision became broader. I could see it now. It was like an IKEA living room /kitchen model before me that they set up in their stores to envisions small spaces. Could it be too, with the wall gone, we can have more people over and not be cut off by this wall that made it hard to move. I was so excited!
The next week my husband tore down our upper kitchen cabinets. They had been built under a box that went all around our kitchen. Our need for space, space and more space drove him to smash the box down too, leading him to cutting electrical wires and re-wiring and then reconstructing the wall. We are now into the third week. So here I am , my vision is there but frustrated,. My upper cabinets are in the back ready for the dump and the new are still in boxes. My kitchen table is covered in glasses, cups, vases and cookware. Did I mention we live in 1100 sq feet. I sweep, I mop and then I do it again as my husband puts up dry wall and sands down dry wall mud making things just right. Meanwhile we live, breath and eat in a mess of tools, bits of wood and dust, dust , dust.I know someday this will all be a bad memory, but today it is very real. We are remodeling. Our home is far from perfect. Our home is not the brand new model home I was ready to move into,Our home needs work.
Did you know God is working on us too. Just as my husband is working on our home. God has a vision for you and for me. We are a new creation, no doubt. A gift from God is that He now sees us through what Christ did for us when we accept Him as Lord and Savior. But that does not mean there is not work to be done. Philippians 1:6-being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
He is working. I still remember the Sunday school song I loved to sing sitting with my Grandma on her couch. " He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be. It took him just a week to make the moon and the stars. The sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars. How loving and patient He must be. He's still working on me.
I know there is a change immediately with salvation. Then the Holy Spirit moves in and begins working. He is knocking down a wall of unkindness and rebuilding it. Tearing down cabinets that harbor unforgiveness and replacing them with something more beautiful. Taking a hammer that blocks me in , that isolates me to self. He opens up my heart like my husband is opening up our little space and makes it what He envisions. I often think I have done better only to meet another challenge. " God ?", I ask, " I thought I did this already?" I see the dust again, the imperfections of my heart as I read His word. I realize there is more He longs to do. I still am not as quick to forgive as I thought. I still am not merciful and kind as I dreamed. God is still in a remodel of my heart.
Remodeling is never fun. Often times God brings to light something ugly in our heart. He holds a hammer ,His active Word (Heb 4:12-For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. )and says," Okay ready for the remodel?Will you be inconvenienced by the dust, debris, and allow me to make something more spacious and beautiful?" I hope I say," Yes Lord, Yes! Take that away and work on me!"
I love our cottage, but I do not want it to stay the same. Sure it will take time to make it more lovely, more open , more welcoming. I love knowing Jesus too, but I don't want to stay the same. It may take time and His wise hands working,molding, building on me through His Word. But I hope in time to be more forgiving, more kind, more joyful, more welcoming. God promised that he would finish that work until the day of Christ.
Isn't it encouraging to know that God has a vision for us?
Do you hate remodels? Not just your physical homes, but remodels of the heart. Let's trust God together that He's got this. He only see's the best for our lives. He has good gifts to work in our hearts if we hand him the hammer and say, " Do it Lord!" I know that model home will never be ours. It was perfect yes. But we are keeping our cottage remodel and all. Be encouraged that God keeps His kids too, remodels and all. Have any doubts look in the Bible, it can only encourage you that he worked in some of the most imperfect people. He who began a good work in you, WILL BE FAITHFUL TO COMPLETE IT IN YOU ! HAPPY DEMOLITION ALL !
Here are some things our home remodel will do...
- I can now cook in the kitchen and be a part of my family at the same time, or whoever else is in the living room.
- We have more room to move and breathe, creating more patience with eachother.
- We have more light in our home now that the wall is down . The windows from our kitchen illuminating the living room as well.
Here are some things Gods remodel can do in our hearts...
-He can take down those walls of bitterness and unforgivenss, so we can fellowship with one another, taking away hostility.
-He can create more space in our lives for the fruits of his spirit, love , joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self control.
- He can continue to shine His light in the dark areas of our lives, Showing us our error and His solutions. Walking in the light as He is.
Have a beautiful day !
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