is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”
Over the last couple of years, I’ve watched my 30-year-old home undergo several renovation projects. Renovations are not for the faint of heart. They cause a mess, the results are sometimes slow, and the process can feel never-ending.
I’m learning home renovations are so very similar to heart renovations - especially as I’ve walked through painful seasons and relationship hardships. I’ve jotted down some important lessons about healing that I’ve collected from my renovation projects, and I want to pass them along from my journal to yours:
1. Sometimes you have to tear things down before you can build back up in new and beautiful ways.
It’s impossible to see true transformation unless you remove the damaged and unhealthy portions first. Houses and people are alike in this way. Sometimes we have to work through what was so we can move on to what can be. This doesn’t always mean we have to remove people who don’t want to cooperate with healthier patterns for our relationship. But it may mean we create boundaries that clearly outline which behaviors are acceptable and which are not. We establish boundaries not to shove people away but rather to hold ourselves together.
2. Working on the foundation isn’t appealing or attractive, but it’s important.
Jesus spoke of this truth in Matthew 7:24-27:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash”.
Building our lives on anything but God’s Truth will result in a shaky foundation - a detriment to any building project before it even begins. We must put in the necessary hard work of building our lives and our faith on the solid ground of Scripture, daily seeking God.
3. It’s good to stay humble enough to realize sometimes you need to get professionals involved.
Some things you can do on your own, and some things you can’t. Many small home repairs can be handled without professional help, but major renovations must be carefully handled by those with skill and experience. The same is true with the deeper emotional work in our lives. Doctors, Christian counselors, and therapists are trained to bring renewed health and restoration to both body and soul. My family and I have benefited greatly from professionals in seasons when it was necessary for healing, and we’re so grateful for that.
One of the hardest realities I’ve had to face is that it’s not always possible to fix broken relationships. Heart renovations, like home renovations, take diligence, patience, and a whole lot of prayer, and through the process, we have to accept that some things can be changed and others cannot. But with God as our Master Carpenter, we can live assured - we are a beautiful work in progress.
God, help me have patience with the renovations You’re doing in my heart. In the messy middle of the process, help me see the beauty that’s taking shape and the joy that can be found even here in this season. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
- Lysa TerKeurst
Provided by "Proverbs 31 Ministries"