God renovations (1)

Ever watch those daytime TV shows where they try to decorate a house before the owners come back? They're always the same: the stressful middle bit, the overly emotional ending, and at least two 'feature walls'. Our lives can be the same: full of ups and downs, stresses, emotional fallouts, happy outcomes.

We can sometimes be so keen to make ourselves over - to quit that habit, to behave more Jesus-like, to pursue what's holy (all good things) - that we forget it's only possible with God's Spirit. We try it alone, we stress and pressure ourselves to improve, but it's usually temporary change that frustrates us even further.

Just like the makeover shows, God wants to 'renovate' us. Look at what's on offer in Philippians 1:9-11: 'depth of insight', 'pure and blameless', 'filled with the fruit of righteousness.' Sounds kind of huge. But God's the renovation expert. The Holy Spirit is the only one who can renovate and refresh us, and make us more like the Christian we desire to be. When we allow God's Spirit to work on the stuff that we can't, we'll begin to see real and lasting change.



So what now? Think about things that need renovating in your own heart. Then find something to renovate and present to someone else: spruce up something you don't use - a techie or kitchen gadget lying in a drawer, decent clothes you'll never wear - and give it to someone who really will use it. Renovation starts from the heart.





— SCRIPTURE —

'He who has begun a good work in you will complete it.' Philippians 1:6 NKJV
— SOULFOOD —

Eze 10-13, Matt 21:18-32, Ps 84 , Pro 19:11