An Invitation to Renovation // Part 2
3 Things You Need For A Renovation
Have you ever really thought about how a renovation happens?
Whether you’re trying to renovate just a room in a house or even an entire house, there are three things you have to have in order to successfully complete a renovation.
1. A PICTURE
Anytime you want to renovate a room or build something new you have to start with a picture. Architects draw up elaborate blueprints detailing every inch of the house. It’s a picture of what the house should look like when the builders build the house or renovate the space.
Because the builders have access to the picture that the architect has drawn, they know how to build the house. They have a model to follow. As long as they keep looking at the blueprints, keep referring back to the picture, they can build the house.
OK, the same is true for us. The good news is that our architect, God our Father, has given us a picture of what the life we’re building is supposed to look like. He’s given us Jesus! So if you want to know what your life is supposed to look like, what the life your building is supposed to be like, look at Jesus. He’s the blueprint. He’s the picture.
Here’s the good news, when you look at Jesus here’s what you don’t see. You don’t someone who is stressed. Or someone who is worried. You don’t see someone who is too busy. Or someone who is worn out, burned out, or give out.
What you see when you look at Jesus is someone who is at peace. Someone who trusts in God no matter what. Someone who is patient and kind. What you see is someone who has built His life and His faith on God.
You may say, “Yes. But Jesus is God!” That’s true. He is. But He was also fully human. And he gave us a picture of what our lives are supposed to look like.
2. THE INSTRUCTIONS
Anytime you build a house or renovate a space, you also need instructions. Having the picture may not be enough. You need to know how to do what it is you’re supposed to do. How to build what it is you’re supposed to build.
A couple of weeks ago my wife asked me to put up a ceiling fan up in our bathroom. I’ve done that before. I know, more or less, how to do that. But I didn’t just look at the picture on the box to know how to put the ceiling fan up. I used the directions.
Why? Because there’s a certain order to things. There’s a certain way to do it and, if you follow the instructions, you’re going to avoid making a lot of mistakes. If you follow the step by step guide, you can actually do whatever it is you’re trying to do a whole lot better and faster than you could by just trying to figure it out all by yourself!
Again, we’ve got great news when it comes to building the life we’re trying to build. When it comes to our own transformation and the renovation of our hearts. We’ve got instructions. Not only did Jesus come from Heaven to Earth to live among us and SHOW us what life is supposed to look like, he also TAUGHT us how to live as well!
If you’re looking for the instructions, if you want to know the best way to live, allow me to point you to the Red Letters. The words of Jesus. We call them the Red Letters because in many of your Bibles the words of Jesus are written in Red.
Jesus taught us things that people who don’t even believe in Jesus believe are true. It was Jesus who said, “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.” It was Jesus who said, “What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world but looses his own soul.” It was Jesus who said, “Turn the other cheek!”
Jesus not only showed us how to live, he taught us. He gave us the instructions.
3. THE HELP OF OTHERS
Anytime you want to build something, or renovate something, or transform something, you need help. You can’t do it alone. Even if you think you’re doing it by yourself, you’re not doing it by yourself.
There are the people at Home Depot who are helping you or checking you out. There’s the person that recorded that YouTube video that you’ve watched 5 times that is helping you out. There’s your spouse who is “advising” you all along the way. 🙂 Very rarely, if ever, do we ever do anything all by ourselves. We need help. We need each other.
And if you’re going to be serious about transforming your life, about renovating your heart, here’s what you need to know… you can’t do it on your own. Honestly, that’s why church is so important. That’s why having friends who are followers of Jesus is so important. That’s why belonging to a faith family is so important. Because we were never intended to build the life we are building all on our own. We need help. We need each other.
This is why Jesus taught us to love each other, help each other, build each other up and encourage each other. He knew we would need each other as we build the lives we’re striving to build. He knew that our transformation, our renovation, couldn’t happen, wouldn’t happen unless we had people around us helping us every step of the way.
Is it time for a change?
CS Lewis once said, “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.”
Maybe you can’t change the past, but you can start where you are and change the ending of your story. It may be time to renovate your heart and life. It may be time to see your life transformed. That can happen, and Jesus has an idea about how that can happen in such a way that it will lead you not only into the best life now but into eternal life.
The invitation is to allow Jesus to lead the renovation of your heart.
The greatest need we have is the renovation of our hearts. What if you let Jesus serve as the lead architect of the renovation of your heart and life?
How do you do that?
- Fix your eyes on Jesus.
- Follow His instructions.
- Find faithful friends.
When you do, you will find life.
Your Greatest Need
“…the greatest need you and I have—the greatest need of collective humanity—is the renovation of our heart. That spiritual place within us from which outlook, choices, and actions come has been formed by a world away from God. Now it must be transformed.”
— Dallas Willard
Whenever someone decides to flip a house, they often discover that there are more problems with the house than they first thought. They often discover that it’s going to cost more to renovate the house than they first imagined. And sometimes, they walk away because the work is too much and the cost is too high.
Whenever someone decides to change their life, they often have the same experience. They discover it’s going to take more work than they imagined. And they realize that the cost is going to be greater than they had anticipated. And sometimes, they walk away because the work is too much and the cost is too high.
The Invitation and the Promise
But here’s the invitation and the promise for us today. The invitation is for us to allow God to renovate our hearts and lives and transform us more and more into the image of His Son Jesus. And the promise is that if we do this, we will never be alone. God will be ever-present. His church will be all around us cheering us on. We may not be able to go back and change the beginning of our story, but we can start where we are and change the ending of our story.
Today, it’s my prayer that we would choose to be changed. To be more like Jesus in every way!
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