Home Repairs

 

    When someone buys a house from somebody else, they have it inspected. During our 2021-2022 housing market frenzy, those inspections were often waived by the buyer. People and companies were so desperate to grab a house that they paid more than what the house was listed for and they paid in cash with no need for repairs or an inspection. Before the pandemic, well lets just say deals fell through because the owner wouldn't fix a squeaky or loose board on the back deck. I was always puzzled by that mentality of buying a piece of property without a proper inspection. What if there was mold or termites in the house. It could cost the new owner tens of thousands of dollars to do the repair work. Without the inspection, the seller is not liable for the repairs. So, here we are talking about the housing market, what does that have to do with God. 

When God comes to us, He's like a home buyer. He sees us as a home for His Spirit to live in. Now, when He makes an offer to us, often times we tell Him all the issues our home has. Sticking with the metaphor, we say I've got tons of damage, you wouldn't want my house. God is a persistent buyer though. I've got a leaky roof Sir and the walls and ceiling have water damage. God says, that's OK. I still want the house. It's got bad plumbing and wiring. I've been meaning to repair it but I don't have the money. God says, I tell you what. You let me purchase your house and I'll fix it up for you. You don't need to leave, you can still live in it. I just need you to trust that I can make it livable by my standards and don't do anything. I won't need your help, I'll clean it all up and make it like new, just trust me and if I need you to do something I'll ask you. Sound like a deal. A head nod is all it takes and like a home repair show here He comes with His crew to repair the house. 

See, God doesn't need a full report on what is wrong with you. He doesn't need to hear how impossible it is to change you. All He needs is the OK to renovate His new home. Now often times, renovation comes with demolition. The old stuff and the damaged sections need to be removed. Since the house is now His and yours both, you both have to work on being roommates. His desire is to renovate and reconstruct your old beat up house back to it's original glory. The only way He can do that is if you let Him and stay out of His way.

Have you ever lived in a home that is being totally overhauled? If not, then I suggest the movie, "The Money Pit" 1986 with Tom Hanks and Shelley Long. Talk about invasive repairs. When God takes control, if we let Him, He will come inside your house and rip everything out, completely gut everything that is not worth keeping. 

However, we tend to be sentimental and we tend to place our identity in the wrong things. So say you grew up in this house and their is a lot of memories, some good and some bad but those memories are how you define yourself. The wall where you marked your height or the banister you slid down as a kid or the old tire swing. We have a ton of memories we'd like to hold onto and not all of them are good ones but when God moves in, our identity is supposed to change over to Him. If we are continually asking Him to not change this or not change that because of sentimental attachment or it's "who you are" then construction will be halted or slowed. It's not comfortable to live in a house that's under construction forever. 

Are we expert renovators, no we are not and that's why we called in the professionals. Another TV/Movie reference for you, Home Improvement with Tim Allen, now there's a great example of how we handle our home improvements.....get it. Sorry, dad joke. Anyway, if you look at Al and Jill and the neighbor Wilson as the Holy Spirit, they were constantly telling him how to do or asking him not to do things he thought he knew how to do. Sound familiar,  read Romans. So here we have Tim thinking he can do it all and in the end he usually has to eat crow and confess his inabilities. 

Isn't this how we go about it with God. Always thinking we can do it, we can handle it, we just need more power. (Insert Tim's grunt here). In fact, we call on God for more power but we don't let him do the work. Instead we ask for more Spirit, more gifts more this and more that but in actuality, in our hands, more power leads to bigger problems and in the end we concede and let the professionals take over.

It's a definite humbling experience when we fail miserably, falling flat on our faces, and thinking the whole time we knew what we were doing. Yet, power in the hands of those who are not yielded cannot wield it properly. It's like the guy with the house. If God, your new tenant, tries to come in and renovate for you but you always think you can do it for Him, the results are not going to be good. You can't tell your general contractor how to do His job, it doesn't go over well. You ever wonder why they send the families off on a nice vacation during one of those home makeover shows. Again with the TV references. Sorry it's winter, not much to do. Anyway, they send them away so they can do the work needed without the constant input from the family. 

If God doesn't have full range to remake you into His image then the image will be part Him and part you which is a mixture and nothing good comes of that. The way I see it, when God is invited into your home He immediately gets to work. Some areas, He will ask you to help with, some areas we need to trust Him to do all the heavy lifting. Our issues are letting Him work without trying to do something for Him or with Him without His permission. I say we grab a big glass of sweat tea, sit in our favorite chair and watch as He transforms our lives right before our eyes. If He needs us to do something like hand Him a box of nails or a hammer, then be ready to do that. 

I always love common stories set to a spiritual lesson or a parable of sorts. It gets me to understand tough lessons in a fun and easily digestible manner. I hope this doesn't confuse you but helps you as it does me to visualize something we can't see. The transformation happens slowly sometimes and then in others the reconstruction is immediate. It all depends on how much faith we have in Him. When we believe He will do what He says then we will have a newly renovated house faster than we can say, "Move That Bus." (another TV reference)

To God be the Glory!