May 21 - Home Improvement

Home Improvement

Homebuyers usually come in two forms.  The first are those that buy brand new.  No walls to refinish, no rooms to repaint, no chips to repair, and no cupboards to replace.  It’s ready to go and ready to show.

The second are what are known as “fixer-uppers.”  The fine print in the real estate magazines and ads remind them that with just a little bit of elbow-grease, vision, and investment, their dream home awaits.  Tear out the carpet here and patch a

hole there, and it’s “just like new.”

Without a doubt, if you were to classify God in one of these two categories, He would definitely fall into the fixer-upper range.  Not that He couldn’t afford new, and not because heaven’s mansions have termite problems or need foundation inspectors, it’s just that God likes a good project…but His best projects are in the homes of our hearts.

Robert Munger, a professor of mine several years ago, summed it up nicely when he wrote a booklet entitled, “My Heart, Christ’s Home.”  He reminds us that when Christ is looking for a home, He never finds one that is not, in some way or another, in need of some major renovations as well as minor touch-ups.  Dr. Munger used his own heart as an analogy on how the Lord moved through each room of this home as he became increasingly more uncomfortable with what Jesus saw.

           

1) The Study (that controlled his thoughts

2)  The Dining Room (that holds his appetites for life)

3)  The Living Room (which caused him to evaluate what time he spent with God)

4)  The Workroom (where he spent time for the temporary or eternal)

5)  The Rec Room (where activities and associations happened)

6)  The Hall Closet (a place that held junk yet to be cleaned out).  As Jesus walked through each room, His intent was obvious…to make it new. 

C.S. Lewis spoke further on this idea:  “I think many of us, when Christ has enabled us to overcome one or two sins that were an obvious nuisance, are

inclined to feel (though we do not put it into words) that we are now good enough.  He has done all we wanted Him to do and we should be obliged if He would leave us alone.  As we say, “I never expected to be a saint; I only wanted to be a decent ordinary man…

But the question is not what we intend ourselves to be, but what He intended us to be when He made us.  Imagine yourself as a living house.  God comes in to rebuild that house.  At first, perhaps, you can understand what He is doing.  He is getting the drains right and stopping the leaks in the roof and so on.  You knew that those jobs needed doing and so you are not surprised.  But presently He starts knocking the house about in a way that hurts abominably and does not seem to make sense.  What on earth is He up to?  The explanation is that He is building quite a different house from the one you thought of – throwing out a new wing here, putting on an extra floor there, running up towers, making courtyards.  You thought you were going to be made in to a decent little cottage: but He intends to come and live in it Himself.”

And by the way, this is no “do-it-yourself” job.  If you want it done right, call the Expert.

Terry Risser

Consider reading the Word today: