Foundations and Renovations in Christ

[Jesus said] “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.” Matthew 7:24 The bricks have fallen down, but we will rebuild with dressed stone   the fig trees have been felled, but we will replace them with cedars. Isaiah 9:10

Dear Friends in Christ,

Many of the homes in our area were built in recent decades. For older homes, after a while, major repairs and renovations are often needed. If the foundation was poorly built, if the wiring was flawed and undersized, if the plumbing is a mess from DIY fixes over the years, setting things right is a complicated challenge. It’s a lot easier if we were starting from the ground up—then we could build on years of wisdom and set a structure in place that would last.

Our life as disciples of Jesus (and as humans!) can be messy like that renovation project. We don’t always have the best spiritual foundations, the healthiest of habits, or consciences well-formed. Sometimes a renovation of the heart is a formidable task that seems overwhelming, and we don’t know where to start or how.

And yet, Jesus came to this messy world, to share its messy life, to redeem us from all that mess and to remake us closer to his image—to renovate us into something more whole, more beautiful. With patience in God, with patience for ourselves and each other, we start on small projects, we do the long-term work of building new habits, sharing the journey with others as we go. Slowly, day by day, the inner rot gets pulled away and replaced with a fresh foundation, sturdy supports, and the finer details set right. We become more beautiful in God’s hands. What is God’s project in your life this year—this week—today? How can you cooperate with God’s formation of you now and over time?

Of course, some of you reading this are early in the building stage. Some of you can turn to God to lay a solid foundation for yourself or your family. Younger couples, you can sort out priorities for yourselves and your kids you will someday have so that character outweighs achievement, family and community outweigh consumption, where relationships outweigh experiences and where all of your life will be seen through God’s eyes and God’s dreams for you (and for others through you). This is a house built on a firm foundation for generations, and one that will bless others around you.

God bless you as he builds something more beautiful and more whole in you and your relationships this year.

Yours in Christ,

-Tom