You know that show Extreme Home Makeoveror really any of those remodeling television shows? Some of the homes are very obviously completely rundown. Some look fine on the surface but the damage can be seen once you dig a little bit, and others just need a little bit of sprucing up on the interior design. Sometimes, the damage is done by the homeowners. Sometimes the homes were made incorrectly. Sometimes the homes are just worn from the wear and tear of everyday life; anything from the weather to the kids that climbed and jumped off the couch 1,001 times. Regardless, every homeowner has realized that it is something they do not have the skills to fix or change and so they call in the experts who rush in with backhoes, cement slabs, bright colors of paint, and yards of beautiful linen.
My month in Swaziland really showed me where my home, the foundation of my identity, hadn’t been completely built by the Lord. Because of that, the wear and tear of life had damaged it.
Those girls in high school that didn’t like me because of the way I walked (seriously though that’s not a joke) or friends that made my joyfulness out to be annoying or even the praise I received from teachers and coaches bred parts of my identity that I didn’t realize had become so foundational to who I was.
And I was tired of fighting and killing myself over what people thought of me, or said about me, and how these false aspects of my identity were affecting my life today. I was frustrated as I tried to lay a hardwood floor over a bumpy concrete slab that I had no idea how to do.
So I sat down with the Lord. Incredulous that I was struggling with things that I felt were so elementary. I never really thought twice about all of these things in my life. I think I honestly would have said these labels truly had nothing to do with the foundation of my identity, especially because I know my identity is found in Christ and what He says of me. So why am I so fearful of what people are saying about me or how people are perceiving me?
The Lord answered me with Isaiah 44:24-28:
“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer,
who formed you from the womb:
‘I am the LORD, who made all things,
who alone stretched out the heavens,
who spread out the earth by myself,
who frustrated the signs of liars
and makes fools of diviners,
who turns wise men back
and makes their knowledge foolish,
who confirms the word of his servant
and fulfills the counsel of his messengers,
who says of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be inhabited.’
And of the cities of Judah, ‘They shall be built,
And I will raise up their ruins’:
Who says to the deep, ‘ Be dry;
I will dry up your rivers’:
Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd,
and he shall fulfill all my purpose’:
saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’
and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid.’”
The truth is, I have built pieces of my foundation on things other than Christ more than I thought I have. But the beautiful thing about our God is that He is in the business of remodeling and complete makeovers. My God is a Redeemer of broken things, and He has a purpose for the way He alone originally knitted me together. In fact, He has a purpose for all things He created in the heavens and on earth.
He uproots lies that others and even we ourselves have created about His creation and purpose. He makes them fools with his redemptive work. And when you think you have it all figured out, He says, “Try again.” His design for us as individuals and collectively is so much bigger. He is a God who speaks confirmation and encouragement to his followers. He is the power that transforms people.
He spoke to me that my foundation hasn’t been laid completely on Him, even though a lot of it has been. And I threw up my hands and asked, “How do I fix it then Lord?” He calmly said in this scripture, “You’re not going to. I am. Because you don’t know yourself. Other people don’t know you either. But I, I am the one who created everything. You will be used the way that I originally designed you, just as Jerusalem will be inhabited. And your ruins and brokenness, I will rebuild and replace it with something even more beautiful just like the cities of Judah. And everything that is giving you imitation life, I’m going to take those away and give you My living water; just like I will dry up the river. You are my servant and you will be used for my purpose. I am going to build you. Others will not. You will not. And we are going to start this remodeling at the foundation of your identity as a temple to me and me alone.”
At that point I was kind of like those homeowners that get too involved in the makeover process. How can I help? What can I do? Shouldn’t it be done this way? Wouldn’t it be best to…? But my God just told me very simple directions.
“Seek me above all else. Love people with the Gospel. Be slow to speak. Quick to hear. Enjoy your life everyday. I will relay your foundation as you walk with me.”
No matter what age you are, or what level of maturity you’ve attained, there is always some remodeling Jesus can do in your heart and identity. Oftentimes, this comes out during times of conflict or suffering. Here are some questions to help you identify some areas the Lord may be wanting to rebuild in your life.
- When conflicts occur, how do you respond and why do you respond that way?
- Where is the root of the current issue and emotion?
- When was the first time you felt this way?
- What is the lie you believed about others and/or yourself through that situation?
- What is the truth that God calls us to? Who does God say you are?
- Are you allowing God to come in and smooth out your bumps?
- Do you trust that He is capable of redeeming and rectifying you in every aspect of your life?
