I did some touch up painting in my kitchen and laundry room last night that was long overdue. After all, the first coat of paint went up almost six months ago. But to my credit, waiting a long time to finish paid off; in the meantime, a few scrapes and nicks had emerged that also required a brush full of paint.
Interestingly enough, the added touches of paint actually made a big difference. Both rooms took on a new freshness and cleanness that I was really hoping for. After all, who wants to cook or do laundry in filth.
But a coat of paint doesn’t actually mean the kitchen is fresh and clean. In fact, the kitchen is one of the few rooms in my fixer-up house that needs a total overhaul. The cabinets are old and warped. And though paint makes them look better, the doors still don’t close right and the shelves are sticky from years of use. And a little paint in the laundry room did nothing to fix the outdated plumbing and the old well system that still occupies the back corner. That’s going to be a big project my dad and I will tackle in a couple of months.
For a hundred reasons like time, money, and know-how, I can’t always take care of the problems in my house as soon as I notice them. Sometimes I just have to slap a coat of paint on them and hope I have the resources to deal with them later.
This system works ok for my house. It doesn’t work so well for my soul.
Unfortunately, I often try to take care of sin problems in my life the same way I dealt with my kitchen and laundry room. A little extra Bible reading, attending a prayer meeting, volunteering to make a meal for a sick friend, and I’ve temporarily masked over the idolatry, fear, or lust in my heart. To look at me, you’d never know that I need a total renovation on the inside.
The pharisees were pros at this kind of living. Jesus called them “white-washed tombs.” He said they looked good on the outside, but inside they were full of dead men’s bones.
This season of Lenten reflection may reveal sin in many areas of our lives. It may seem impossible to deal with them all right now. But unlike my touch-up job in the kitchen that hadn’t gotten too much worse for the waiting, sin covered over in my heart will multiply and infect others around me.
To fix my kitchen in a lasting way, I need to remove all the old cabinets, appliances, and flooring, and start over. Some things in my kitchen could be salvaged–the sink, the refrigerator, the stove–but even those need to be rearranged. Mostly, I need new tile on the floors and new cabinetry. This would truly make the kitchen a fresher, cleaner place.
This is the real work we need for our souls as well. First, confession and repentance for all that has to go. Second, guidance and wisdom from the Spirit on what can stay and what needs to be added.
Ephesians 4:22-24 from The Message
Aimee — Thanks for the encouragement. I’m considering putting a few things up here from time to time as well.
For now — You’re right, these total renovations are hard work. I am so thankful, as Christianne pointed out, that Jesus himself does much of the work, and gives us the strength to do our part, when it comes to renovating our hearts.
…”To look at me, you’d never know that I need a total renovation on the inside… To fix my kitchen in a lasting way, I need to remove all the old cabinets, appliances, and flooring, and start over….”
Isn’t that the truth, the outside can look ssso good, but what’s going on inside? It is easy to clean up the outside, but removing the old habits and mindsets that have been there for too many years, there is the real work. That is the lasting makeover, removing and replacing “renewing the mind”. It is hard work, but oh so beautiful when it is done!
i just saw your AMAZING watercolor at Seedling in Stone…I am so impressed by your work Charity!!
SP — These things do take time, indeed. But when we look back to where we started, like when you said the porch is starting to look really good, then we can see that change really is happening. I wonder if life would be easier if we lived it backwards?
Craver — Sorry to remind you of your “honey-do” list. Domestically and spiritually I often want to do the same thing.
ANON — I too find spiritual connections to every thing I do to this house. Amazing.
Christianne — Oh, that is the key, isn’t it? Remembering that this new self we are after is really a gift. God makes me new! Thanks for the very good reminder.
Erin — The right way does seem to be the narrow, hard way. In my house, I often need to do a quick fix at the moment and then come back to problems later. For the house, this often works, but with my soul, the problem can get much worse fast.
I love that came here to read this today, as I was just thinking a similar thing as I was weeding our stone porch today. In the beginning, I was diligent to pull up weeds as they came, but soon I became discouraged that they kept coming. So I gave up weeding. Of course, the weeds began to take over the porch and looked horrible. I’ve had a renewed interest in cleaning up our porch, but it is taking time. I want to fix it in one fell swoop and be done, but I have to remain diligent to completely uproot what has been left there for so long, unattended. But boy is it worth it! The porch is starting to really look good. Thanks for your insights.
As usual, I love your thoughts. You voice many of the things I have come to see and truly embrace in my spiritual journey and that of others. Ultimately, it is a sad thing to do the other Pharisaical whitewashed tomb thing, as it does violence to our very souls. Though the other, narrower way of walking is slow, painful, and very revealing, it is truly the only way to find real life and healing. It is also the only way to enjoy the true presence and love of God.
The other thought that seems important to contribute here is the work of God in this whole matter. We cannot clean ourselves up by our own strength. It is God who does the healing, and ourselves who submit to receiving it.
Good thoughts. We just did the whole overhaul thing in the old house we bought and had moved to our property. The whole time I kept having the whole analogy thoughts to our life; it seemed as we were doing it to our house it helped us do to the rest of our life. We’re now in the house and our life seems to have revamped as well. Wish ya the best!
Grumble, grumble. The thought of my own kitchen cabinets, and an impossible honey-do list is almost more than I can bear. I want to just escape and (impersonating the king)fix me a nice Elvis sandwich. Uh, huh-huh!
Charity,
Somehow this reminds me of the wide way and the narrow way from the Sermon on the Mount.
When I find myself unsure of the next step to take in my Christian walk, I look to the rest of the crowd. What is the approved Christian do-it-yourself response to this question? What are the Christian experts saying I need to spruce up in order to move along? If the people I respect are splashing on a new coat of paint to pretty-up their whitewashed tomb and make it liveable, then surely that must be the successful way to do things.
The narrow way, the harder way, is to dismantle the entire structure and get rid of the old, the rotting, and the useless. And replace it with the costly, functional upgrades and the changes that bring true and lasting habitability (is that a word?). Most of us are not interested in the investment something like that requires.
Hence, there are not many examples in the Christian world to follow if one wants to take the narrow way.
Ted — I’m going to try to hit Psalm 51 and 86 later today. I think both of those have been part of the Lenten readings, but I haven’t parked there. Great encouragement about the freedom God’s word gives us.
LL — When this house was first built, there was no municipal water line, so each home had its own private well. Years later, the water line was laid through here and the house was hooked into that, but the old well was not capped off. In my laundry room, there are two old water pumps — not the old fashioned hand pumps, but aging electric ones with a faucet. Right now, they still work (sort of), but the well needs to be capped off this summer for some other work being done. The wells will then become vestiges of a passing age! Oh yeah, there’s also an old water softener in there. Necessary for well water, but not city water. It’s also just taking up space with lots of extra copper piping running in an out of it.
A well? Like a an old water pump or something? You’ve piqued my interest.
I used to know someone who had a real hand water pump out on her porch. That was their running water. It was so cool. Well, at least to a spectator!
Charity, Good thoughts. Yes, we need a complete overhaul. By the resurrection, a totally new “you”. Ha. But true.
Lately I’ve been blessed with going over the great penitential psalm 51. So much there. Then I hit Psalm 86. Again, great and encouraging stuff.
I have to keep soaking in that, in God’s Word. I think I’m growing in doing this. I want to really be free, living in God’s love. I had a better taste of that love and freedom today. As I tried to work through the struggles I’ve been experiencing, by going through Scripture, along with some prayer.
Thanks! And continued blessings on that house!