Lessons from Remodeling-1
How much do you want to change in your spiritual life?
Verse of the Day
‘That is why we never give up. Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day. ‘
Today’s Devotional
We are in the middle of a remodel of the home we bought. The house was built in 1969 and has had the same owners since 1976. It has been awhile since anything in this house was updated. But it served the prior owners well. Now, as we are the new owners, we have decided to make some changes. We are only making a few major changes, and other than that the house is just getting a face lift.
What does this have to do with today’s scripture? Please allow me to explain.
“We never give up.” It does not matter what condition you find yourself in today. If you have Jesus, there is always “updating” that He wants to do with each of us. He wants to continually fill us with His love to change us from the inside out. It is my belief that we will be in the process of spiritual remodeling for the entirety of our earthly lives. And this process is not always pleasant. No matter where you are in that journey today, please don’t give up. It is so tempting to want to cling to the old, comfortable parts of ourselves that do not serve us or the Kingdom well. But where Jesus offers change, even though it is uncomfortable, He also offers freedom and victory… if we do not give up.
“Our bodies are dying.” I’m not sure about you, but my experience is that the aging process of my physical body is not my favorite thing. Going back to my house, I cannot change the fact that this house was built before I was born. There are some aspects of an older house that make it better (in my opinion) than a new house. There are some details of an older house that are really annoying, like cast iron plumbing pipes in the furdowns. We must accept that we cannot stop the hands of time. Aging, of our bodies and everything else, happens whether we like it or not. We are being taught in today’s verse that the age of our bodies (or anything else) is not what really matters.
“Our spirits are being renewed every day.” My interpretation of this phrase is that we have the opportunity to grow a little bit spiritually every single day. There are very few changes with our faith and spiritual growth that happen quickly. We make tiny amounts of progress each day that we lean into God and put Him first in our lives. Just like my remodel… I would love to walk into the house tomorrow and all the work is done, everything is CLEAN (remodels are SO messy), my furniture is there, the boxes are unpacked, things are hung on the walls, and I can live there. But that’s not how this works.
So the question becomes, am I doing anything today to make a tiny amount of progress by allowing God to have the time and space to mold me? Tiny progress. That’s all each day needs.
Journal Prompts
Answer only the questions that seem relevant to you today.
In what areas have you given up?
Where and how do you need to re-engage with God?
How can you accept the reality of the passing of time? How can you praise God in that process?
How do you need your spirit renewed?
Looking back, what progress do you see?
What can you do today to make a tiny amount of progress in allowing God to have access to your spirit?