Isn’t it wonderful to spend time with a close friend you haven’t seen in years?  That joy was mine for a few hours last month.  My now long-distance friend and I were able to see each other face to face and catch up on life.  Oddly, the first topic we covered was my house.  It may seem like an odd place to start, but it was the most overt.  You see, she came to my house, which she had done many times in years past, but this time… she didn’t recognize it.

My house has been transformed inside and out.  It’s a long story which my friend knows and even experienced with me as we did life together during the first year or two that we owned the house.  It was a fixer-upper.  It had been unloved, neglected, damaged, and abused.  My husband and I gutted the house and completely refinished the interior.  We even changed the layout of several areas.

When we bought the property, we knew there was a lot of work to be done.  Not only was the inside in need of repair, but the siding and windows also needed to be replaced.  The interior was the priority, but after several years it became clear we could no longer push off their replacement.  The exterior has been the most recent project.  Now, the house looks completely different—inside and out.  That’s why my friend didn’t recognize it.

My husband, Kevin, and I were giving my friend a tour of all the changes that had occurred since she moved away when she asked, “Why did you buy this place, anyway?”  At first, I was startled by the question.  Her logic was quite obvious, but it had never occurred to me before.  Why buy a place and completely change it?  Why not just buy a house you like to begin with?  There was so much work that went into the transformation.  Was it really worth it?

When Kevin and I viewed this property, we saw what it could become.  It’s state of disrepair was temporary.  To us, it was a house that we would lovingly transform to reflect our character.  We saw home.

As I reflected on this, I realized it was a beautiful picture of God’s love and work in us.  God sees through all the junk in our lives and views us in the perfect light of His love.  He sees us in His transforming light and has the power to complete the work.  Many of us have experiences of being unloved, neglected, damaged, or abused.  There is healing and building up through the power of God.  It is a transformation.

Once the deed to a heart is surrendered, the old goes out and the new comes in.  It’s a difficult change to explain, because the change immediately takes place, but yet we learn to live into it.  It’s a learning process that will take our entire lives, for He desires to continually transform us into His image.

There is internal change of the mind, heart, and will, that results in a transformation of outward actions.  In fact, the change can be so drastic that a friend or relative won’t recognize the actions of the transformed.  They may say, “That’s not what you do.  What has happened to you?”

The scriptures tell us that right now we are the house or dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.  One day the work will be complete and we will be the dwelling place of God Himself.  Revelation 21:3-5a speaks of this:

And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!”

As you go about your days, don’t hold onto old construction.  It may be familiar and seem comfortable, but God has something so much better for you.  Don’t hide your junk or pain.  It’s weighty to you, but only temporary in His hands.  Remember, God sees you in His transforming light.

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Scriptures readings for this week are shorter sections, arranged into four (daily) topics.

Every believer is the dwelling place/house/temple of the Holy Spirit
1 Corinthians 6:19-20
Hebrews 3:6
John 14:16-17
Romans 8:9-11

Community – building a temple of people
Ephesians 2:19-22
1 Peter 2:4-10
1 Corinthians 3:16-17

Old and New
2 Corinthians 5:17
Ephesians 4:22-24

Transformed into His likeness
2 Corinthians 3:18
Romans 8:29
1 Corinthians 15:49