Some years ago I wrote a couple of articles for our church newsletter. I thought (or I'm pretty sure God gave me the thought) that it was time to put them out there again. So I will do this for the next couple of weeks. As we start a new year we look to clean out the old stuff. In our homes, in our closets, in our lives, in our habits...we look to start fresh, make a clean sweep of what we feel doesn't fit us anymore. Be it old clothes, an old chair or a bad habit, January is always a great time to be out with the old and in with the new. Here's the article.
For years now the Lord has been impressing on me that our lives and our hearts are like houses with rooms. I hear questions in my head like "Whose house are you building?" and "What are you decorating it with?" As I was reading through Proverbs recently, chapter 24:3-4 brought these questions to mind. It says: "A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. Through knowledge it's rooms its rooms are filled with all sorts of riches and valuables." So I have to ask, "What are we decorating our rooms with?" What does this house, whose foundations are the apostles and the prophets, Jesus being the cornerstone, look like in you and me?"
God's Word is filled with instruction on what should and should not be in our hearts. Now remember, what is going on in our heart will determine what is lived out in our lives. Matthew 12:25 But Jesus knew their thoughts, and said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand. Mark 7:21-23 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. 23 All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” If your life is consistently exhibiting the kind of thinking and behavior mentioned in these verses, it's time to examine your heart.
Thinking of our hearts as a house, what are the rooms we have it it. Maybe there is a room for family, a room for church, for work, etcetera. What are you putting up as decor in these rooms? Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to be your designer or are you trying to do it yourself? Are you getting your decorating ideas from the Bible or from the world?
What are some of the world's ways of decorating? We can see a pretty comprehensive list of worldly decorating in Galatians 5:19-21 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. And also in Colossians 3:5 So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world.
What kind of behaviors can be traced to this kind of paint on your walls? Do you always need to be right? Do you spend more time in front of the TV than with God an family? Is greed for the good things of this life your flooring? You're standing on idolatry! How about the knickknacks sitting on your coffee table? Are they vases of "anger, rage, and malicious behavior"? Some other Scriptures that give us the world's idea of decorating: Philippians 2:3 3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Psalm 10:2-3, 7 2The wicked arrogantly hunt down the poor. Let them be caught in the evil they plan for others. 3 For they brag about their evil desires; they praise the greedy and curse the Lord. 7 Their mouths are full of cursing, lies, and threats. Trouble and evil are on the tips of their tongues. I am sure you can find plenty more Scripture to add to this list of bad decorating.
That is our hearts before Christ. After we put the blood of Christ on the doorframe of our heart things start to change. When we invite Him into our lives, it's like we are now on one of those make-over shows. In Ezekiel 36:26 the Lord tells us He is going to give us a new heart. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.
Our houses are getting a make-over! I can just see the big dumpster being parked out in the driveway! Out goes all the junk! (Ow! Getting rid of old stuff hurts!) Please try to refrain from picking through the garbage once it has been thrown out. Sometimes a bad habit that has become our comfortable comfort needs to go. We need to let go of that old furniture. That old chair (or attitude) may be comfortable, but it has holes and springs are popping out, and it smells bad! It won't fit in with the new creation God is making our house.
So, starting with faith as our flooring, it's time to exchange the old for the new. God has created in us a clean heart and is ready to start renewing a right spirit within us. Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me. On the walls is new artwork. Pictures of fruit, of the Spirit that is. Galatians 5:22-23 22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Yes it takes time to do this make-over. Just like you would spend time pouring over magazines and shopping to redecorate your house, you must spend time with Jesus, pouring over Scriptures in prayer, learning what stays and what goes to fix up your spiritual house. We didn't get all the filth and grime and old broken-down pieces of furniture in our houses overnight. They built up over a lifetime. So too, it will take time and hard work to renew this old house. Soon instead of seeing vases of anger, rage and malicious behavior on the coffee table, we will see beautiful blooms of tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience (Colossians 3:12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.) Let the music in your home greet your guests with the message of Christ. Share wisdom, hymns, psalms and spiritual songs with all your encounter. (Colossians 3:16 16 Let the message about Christ, in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts.)
Our new paint color will be called "Love." Want some more decorating ideas? Try using praise for your roof (praise goes up to God), prayer for your doorways, (it opens the door for God to work in our lives), and thanksgiving as area rugs (remembering to be thankful in all areas of our lives).
It's our job to keep our houses (hearts) clean. Our Father tells us in 1 Peter 1:16 "You must be holy because I am holy." And how do we keep our houses (hearts) clean? By obedience and following God's ways. Psalm 119:9 How can a young person stay pure? By obeying Your Word. By confession and repentance. Psalm 66:18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. 1 John 1:9 9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness. Psalm 51:17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.
And let's go to one more area of our house. The safe. The place we keep our treasures. Hidden within our hearts should be the Word of God. Psalm 119:11 I have hidden Your Word in my heart that I might now sin against You. This is what we look at to see if we are getting the decor right. It is there to teach us, direct us, to warn us, and to encourage us.
Lord, help us to fashion our hearts and home after You. Let Your desires and ways be what people see when they look at our lives. It's hard to let go of the old. Some things are so engrained in us, have strongholds in our heart. But we also know and hold onto Your Word. Jesus told us in Matthew 19:26 Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.” And you also tell us in Philippians 4:13For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength. Lead us in this redecorating project. Help us to get rid of our old, negative ways that interfere with the new creation You are making in us, and the plan You have for us. In Jesus' Name. Amen.
Spend time with Jesus and find out what new things He wants to do in you!
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