Have you noticed how God uses every day circumstances to speak into life? Our latest project is a case in point.
We’ve just begun remodeling our kitchen. We’re tearing out so we can rebuild. The ceiling, walls, and floor are all in various stages of disruption.
And I’m thrilled.
The kitchen has needed renovations for years and I’m grateful that the task has begun—in spite of the mess and challenges it brings. Our dining room has become a temporary kitchen, and we’ll live in make-do confusion for at least a month and likely longer.
At the moment there is a large hole in the ceiling, so the center portion can be raised and lights rearranged. Wallpaper is mostly stripped, flooring is mostly removed, extensive backsplash is partially stripped, and the sink—with surrounding cabinet—has been removed. In short, it’s a mess.
Furthermore, each step seems to be revealing unexpected complications. (Though I don’t know why challenges are a surprise, because it seems that all renovations include “unexpected” problems.)
Within a week of starting the project, Robert began our noon meal blessing with, “Lord, what have we gotten ourselves into?”
Also, within a week, in our Bible study, we considered Jesus’ words, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. “He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life (Jn. 12:24-25).
Jesus was referring to spiritual matters, laying down our lives for Him, increase in the kingdom, and such. He was speaking of things that really matter in life, not about kitchens.
However, since I’m immersed in demolishing our kitchen, I was very aware that we could never have the kitchen we dream of if we hold onto (love) our former kitchen—whether because we choose the style or because we dreaded the mess, expense, and hard work.
That’s obvious, but the analogy showed me less apparent things as I considered it from the other perspective.
When we choose to trust our lives to Jesus Christ, we die to self to trust in Him. We choose to love Him more than ourselves, resulting in eternal life in Him and all that entails.
We are new beings in Him, but the transformation in our daily lives has just begun. The old doesn’t suddenly take on the full essence and expression of a new life.
We spend the rest of our lives being remodeled as He shapes us into His image.
The old things in our lives need to be removed to make room for the new. Sometimes it is messy. And complicated.
We run into unexpected problems we hadn’t been aware of, but they need to be fixed before we can move on in Him.
Sometimes, we don’t know how to fix the snags. We have to take it one step at a time, and maybe get counsel from someone with more experience and knowledge. (An short visit from a friend solved an electrical problem that baffled us.)
We may get weary, but we press on for the hope that is set before us.
With our kitchen, we’re committed. It’s now in total disrepair. If we want a functioning kitchen, we must press through.
In our lives, it isn’t that simple. Our God allows us to stay in chaos. It doesn’t matter what kind of mess we are, we can choose to say, “No. I’m not willing to go any deeper.” Or, “No, I’m not willing to open up to someone else about my problem.”
God wants the best for us, but we must choose to embrace the process of change in order to keep moving forward with Him.
It’s often hard and feels like death as we turn loose of our old nature. That’s probably why Jesus chose to tell His disciples, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me (Lk. 9:23).
We may have died to self to become a Christian, but to follow Jesus daily, we must deny ourselves and die daily, pressing through the hard and messy times.
The problem with our remodeling is that we don’t choose the time or the method. It usually happens through hardships. Whether through interruptions in our agenda, health issues, financial insecurity, or loss, we rarely invite those things into our lives. Neither do they come with a sign, “Time for Renovation.”
Consequently, we don’t immediately recognize them as an opportunity for our growth in Christlikeness. If, when we face adversity, we learn to look to God with expectancy–for His provision as well as for our growth and change–we’ll find a new measure of grace for the challenge. We’ll have added strength for pressing through.
As I type this, I’m taking a break from sweeping up and throwing away ripped up flooring, stripping wallpaper, and preparing a meal that required running between dining room, kitchen, and bathroom to meet all my needs. My body aches. I want to quit, but I press on because of my hope and dream of a new kitchen.
What is a measly kitchen compared to being all that the Lord wants me to be? I’m not even all I want me to be, much less what He envisions for me.
But I have a hope and dream of being more like Christ. If, in the midst of the project, I can be thrilled about a lowly kitchen, I surely can learn to be expectant and welcoming when it’s time for my personal renovation. How about you?