Renovation of the Heart

For the past few months my family has been renovating my uncle's condo in which Jordan and Bethany will be moving into in February. It has been a ton of work: tearing out carpet, cleaning, replacing appliances, painting all the walls a few times, cleaning some more but each step has brought it one step closer to completion and one step closer to looking awesome and one step closer to being a home.  We are getting down to the final stages now, just waiting on the new carpet and some appliances, but while being there today God hit me with this thought: what we have been doing in the condo is exactly what God has been at work doing in my heart.

He has literally been renovating since the day I chose to accept His gift of love, mercy, redemption, forgiveness, and salvation.  He has been tearing out the parts that are not living out His plan, replacing some outdated habits, and throwing on a fresh coat of forgiveness.  It has been a process, each day a little more gets done, but every once in a while there is a set back; something not planned on in the beginning that catches you off guard.  God knows exactly what He is doing, but sometimes personal motives throw a wrench in His renovations; like maybe the stainless microwave only needs to be 12 inches above the oven, but God knows 15-20 is a much better idea.  That being said, giving myself over to His renovation, despite my own personal setbacks every once in a while, has been the best decision I have ever made and will remain the best for eternity.  How could giving yourself back to the One who created you in the first place ever be a wrong decision?  That being said, God doesn't only want to renovate me; He wants you.  He wants to turn your heart into a luxury condo where He can reside allowing you to do the work and service of Jesus Christ and give all the glory to God in the process.  Like it says in 1 Peter, He wants to restore us, renovate us, make us whole in Him.

It is not always an easy or pain free process to allow God to renovate your heart, but I promise you it is completely worth it.  Giving up some of the things of this world that you hold close and allowing God to replace them with Himself may seem like suffering at first, but will soon reveal itself to the most rewarding and gratifying decision one could make; it will be worth it in the end.  We have eternal glory in Christ, let Him make you strong, firm, and steadfast.


Daily Verse:
And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. ~ 1 Peter 5:10


Call on Him, and let the renovations begin!