Simple Remodeling?

This month my wife and I started, some home repair our goal was to do some simple much needed remodeling in our home.  Our house is about 50+ years old and there are many original parts that were in need of updating.  First we had 3 exterior doors that had lived out their lives on our home and no longer kept the cold or wind on the outside.  And the walls had all been painted for sale the typical sterile cream and were in need of new paint.

During the process of replacing the exterior doors, we felt that one of our “transition” doors seemed more in the way then useful.  So we took it out along with a 70’s era room divider, which was just a space waster.  So that involved some demolition then simple sheetrock work, taping and mudding.  Then as we replace our exterior doors we notice how poor the adjacent doors now looked so we replace 3 interior doors, and now realize that down the road we will also have to replace the 6 remaining interior doors.  So this simple project has also grown to enclosing a screen porch that is in need of repair. 

As I live out the Christian life the more I realize that God has not called us to a “Simple Remodel.”  I believe that is why it is easy for so many believers to live untransformed lives.  Because once you start making changes it is scary when you realize how each change bring into focus other areas in life that need repair.  It is like adding a new ceiling light to the room and now the empty nail holes that once held pictures are now glaring eye sores.  Or the dings that you never noticed in the trim are now more common then smooth pieces.   Look at Romans 12:1-2

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV, ©2011)

1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

This is a common passage with profound truth.  As we begin to transform our lives we begin to see our lives in this new light of Christ.  It is a lot like my house the more I make small improvement the more my perspective is changed.  I do not often realize how much I have conformed to the world until I have made some steps to improve myself, by conforming instead to Jesus.  The great thing about transforming my life is that unlike my house, my life is not limited by a budget.  It is only limited by my willingness to put my faith to work.  And as my faith is used to transform my life, the more my faith bank account expands.  This happens when we truly begin to understand and be assured of God’s faithfulness too us.  It is like making home improvement with someone else footing the bill. 

So my challenge to myself this week and you if you chose to accept it, is to begin looking for conformity to the world in myself and begin trading them out for conformity to Christ.  I realize that each step is just part of the life long process and ultimately I will continue to find more areas that need changing until the end.   I know that I do not have to trust only in what I think I can accomplish but what God can accomplish in me. So, I embrace this promise and prayer, “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 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.(Philippians 1:3-6)