Several years ago, the show Extreme Makeover Home Addition became famous and helped many families build new homes from the ground up. If you haven’t seen it lately, you may recall that they take a giant bulldozer, demolish the old house, and then build a gorgeous new home. Recently, I have enjoyed watching those old re-runs, and even though it isn’t something that just happened, it still touches my heart and gets me emotional when I see them help a struggling family. I have also enjoyed another show that helps people give their homes a refreshing look so they can sell them quicker.
Both premises are set on refurnishing or rebuilding to make changes for the better. One episode the other day had a family member helping sandpaper a banister. All of this reminded me of how God works on us. Sometimes we may need a fresh coat of paint or a new perspective, if you will. Other times the changes may be like sandpaper, it goes against the grain of our nature and is painful at first, but the finished product far outweighs it in the end.
Other times, if our foundation isn’t solid, God tears down the walls of our own making and helps us rebuild. When we come to God in shambles, weathered, and broken, He strips away the old and builds a new life from the foundation up. The process of sanctification through the Holy Spirit (dying to self) is never easy, but it is always worth it.
“Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom” (Ps. 111:10, NLT).
“But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand” (Matt. 7:26, NLT).
Faith Walk Ministries, Inc. 