At the gym, some people like to watch the news and catch up on the headlines as they work out. Other people like to watch cooking shows and get great ideas for their after-workout snack. Still others enjoy their favorite drama. I personally enjoy the home improvement shows. I like to walk into the gym at the top of the hour, when the “before” pictures are shown and do my workout until the “after” pictures bookend the show. There’s something incredible to me about seeing broken, worn-out or outdated places become beautiful and useful again. I love it when builders and designers put their creative brains together for jaw-dropping makeovers. Sixty minutes of a good home makeover show later, I’m ready to go conquer the world. Thing is, this is exactly what Jesus wants to do in your life and in mine!
Jesus the Master Builder and Designer
When we give our lives to Jesus, we – in effect – invite Him to do “home improvement” on us! Jesus is the Master Builder and Designer of everything in the universe, and He has some amazing, jaw-dropping ideas of what He wants to do with the houses of our lives. He invites us to hand over the keys to Him, so He can get started working in us, beginning with our foundation.
Years ago, my husband and I experienced this in the physical realm. We bought an old farmhouse that was a definite fixer-upper. If home improvement shows had been such a big thing back then, this house would have certainly been a candidate. It was in such bad condition that it sat empty on the market for almost two years. The realtor told us, “I’ve had a dozen husbands who wanted to buy this place, but not one wife would even consider it.” I guess that means I was the one crazy woman, willing to take the risk with my husband because I saw the potential a true home makeover might accomplish in the place. (I also, I should add, felt that God was calling our family there – – – and, wherever He leads is a place worth risking for!)
By miracle and grace, we bought the place. Still, when we moved into our farmhouse, it was in such dubious condition that we seriously discussed whether we should plan to completely tear it down and someday rebuild a new house in its place – – – or try to renovate and save the existing house. Our custom home builder friend of ours, knowing all that was at stake, advised us that we could and should try to save the home.
Home Improvement Starting with the Foundation
Thus began a home improvement project that has lasted for 17 years now. We have fixed – or still need to fix – literally every single thing about this home and property. The very first thing that had to be addressed, though, was the foundation. Our house was literally sinking into the ground because it had not been built with the right support and proper engineering. A dear, faithful friend of ours who is a custom home builder literally spent two weeks crouched in our crawl space, pouring concrete and putting in new footers to rebuild our home on solid foundation. We are forever grateful to him for his sacrificial service and love to us, so that we could begin our lives here.
When we give our lives to Jesus, He does the same thing in us. It’s nice to redecorate, redesign and put new furniture in place. However, for a place to have true, lasting beauty and stability, it must have a secure foundation.
This is what Jesus was talking about when He said,
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25
Jesus’ words are the foundation on which we begin “LIFE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.” He is the Creator of everything, and He has amazing plans for us, too. He promises He will complete the work that He starts in us – – – but He waits for us to give Him permission to get into up into our crawl space and delve into the details of our lives to lay new foundations and footers for us to build our lives upon.
A Custom Built Life
I’m so grateful that our friend rebuilt the foundation for us in our farmhouse. Seventeen years later, we are still standing strong and our property is both our home and refuge, place of ministry and opportunity. Even more so, though, I’m grateful that God is doing that in me. When He rebuilds the foundations in me, He takes some of the lies I’ve built my life upon, and He crushes them and puts new footers of His Word and truth in their place. He is such a great Builder and Designer. He wants to do the same in every person, making us able to stand strong and secure no matter what happens in our lives. “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them,” Jesus said, “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built” (Luke 6:47-48).
I want a well built life, don’t you? However, we must – we must! – hand the keys over to Him before He’ll get started on us. He waits for us to give Him control. He waits for our permission before He starts pulling out the old support beams or taking the sledge hammer to our lives. That can sound intimidating and scary, but His amazing leadership and creativity awaits.
So let’s entrust the houses of our lives to Him, and may the adventure of home improvement begin!
Be encouraged! Tosha ❤️