REMODELING
My wife Michelle and I recently made a huge error in judgment. We bought our son a new bed. I know that sounds simple enough. Foolishly, we believed the project would be nothing more than switching out a place where our son sleeps each night. This seemingly uncomplicated purchase, however, led to a major remodel of our upstairs. Since everything was going to be taken out of our son’s room to replace his bed, we decided to put down new carpet. But why update just one bedroom? So, after a careful discussion, we decided to replace the carpet in all three of the kids’ bedrooms. But why stop there? The flooring in the hallway was in desperate need of an upgrade. And before changing out the carpet, the walls needed to be repainted. Naturally, during the course of this project, we threw out some stuff that was cluttering the house. On and on the project went.
You get the picture, right? Buying a new bed produced far more work than we anticipated. Of course, once the project was finished, the upstairs looked fresh and more up to date – let’s face it, twenty-year old carpet is profoundly worn out. Junk was thrown away. Unwanted items were sold or donated. We had more room to move, nice walls to enjoy, and plush carpet to walk on. The work was worth the effort. But boy did it take a lot of time and energy.
I am not a handyman, but I can paint relatively well. During the hours it took to apply a fresh coat of paint to the walls, I had a lot of time to think. While working on the project, I realized decluttering, reorganizing, and improving is necessary in our spiritual lives as well. There are times we need to remodel our personal lives so we can grow in our relationship with Christ. Unreasonable mindsets need to be corrected. Unhealthy distractions need to be eliminated. Ungodly actions need to be eradicated.
In Philippians 3:12-14, the Apostle Paul writes, “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Paul boldly proclaims that he had not yet reached his goal of perfect Christlikeness. After carefully weighing the fruit in his life, Paul concluded that he had not achieved absolute spiritual maturity. We all understand that no one will be sinless on this side of heaven. Nonetheless, Christians are called to continually mature in their faith by pressing on toward the goal of Christlikeness. Mature believers consistently evaluate themselves against the all-sufficient Word of God and make necessary changes. When Michelle and I evaluated the carpet in the kids’ bedrooms and the status of the upstairs walls, we knew changes were necessary; therefore, we took action.
How often do you see areas of your life that need to be changed and take decisive action? Are you prone to overlooking the sins in your life and pretending everything is all right?
On the one hand, Paul knew there were memories, decisions, and challenges that needed to be left behind. Unfortunately, our brains are not like a computer hard drive. Information stored inside our minds cannot simply be deleted with the push of a button. It is impossible to erase the successes, failures, sins, and mistakes of the past. But like Paul, we can choose to longer be influenced or affected by the past.
Living in the past is like trying to live with a high-rise strapped to your back. Eventually, the oppressive weight will crack the foundation of your soul and leave you crumbled on the ground like a pile of ashes. We don’t heal the past by dwelling there; we heal the past by forgiving those who have sinned against us, and trusting in the power of the gospel in the present. Time doesn’t heal anything. Healing from past wounds and failures is only possible through the grace of God.
On the other hand, Paul relentlessly reached forth for that which was ahead. The apostle was like a determined runner who never looks over his shoulder to see who was chasing him; instead, he pressed on toward the goal. Paul was stretching toward the finish line with all of his might. Every muscle in his body was engaged. Finishing the race well was something that the apostle believed worth every ounce of his strength and stamina. What mattered most to Paul was that he remained free from distraction and ran straight for the goal.
The athletic imagery used by Paul presents a wonderful picture of a runner who unwaveringly keeps his eyes fixed on the finish line. The picture is of a runner using every muscle and nerve to stretch for the finish line. Like a focused athlete, Paul did not intend to falter or to be overtaken.
As I mentioned, I am not much of a handyman… nor am I a long-distance runner. Nevertheless, as a former athlete, I understand Paul’s analogy. Whenever a runner who is racing toward the finish line looks backward, it gives a clear indication of a negative shift in the athlete’s mindset. They have lost their focus, leaving them vulnerable to defeat. When a runner checks the rearview mirror, so to speak, the glance is typically because the individual is afraid someone is catching up. When runners are consumed with who is at their heels, they are no longer competing to win the race. Instead, they are running to avoid getting beat.
Not only did Paul refuse to be distracted by his past failures, he did not want his past successes to produce an attitude of complacency. Although he had run the race well, he did not want to relax his efforts and coast toward the finish line. There was no way Paul was not going to allow his past success or failures to pull his eyes off the goal.
After explaining the manner of his running, Paul speaks of the finish line (v. 14). Paul writes, “I run straight towards the goal in order to win the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” It was the vision of the end of the race that kept Paul moving forward. The greatest reward, in Paul’s estimation, was to know Christ fully. Paul’s emphasis was not on winning; it was on finishing the race well. When he crossed the finish line he wanted to be covered in sweat, lungs burning, legs too exhausted to stand, and every muscle cramping from being over-exerted. He refused to leave anything on the track.
As Spurgeon once wrote, “On our Christian pilgrimage it is well, for the most part, to be looking forward. Forward lies the crown, and onward is the goal.” Prizes are never handed out in the middle of the race. They are only awarded once the race is finished. In Philippians 2:16, Paul wrote, “Holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.” As Christians, we must follow Paul’s example and faithfully run the race set before us.
In order to prepare your heart to run this race well, you must ask yourself three questions.
1. What do I need to declutter out of my life?
Perhaps you are wasting significant time worrying about the past or wondering if your life would have turned out differently if you had only made a few different decisions. Maybe you feel ashamed or tarnished by your past. It is also possible that you feel bitter or resentful over events that happened a long time ago. Perhaps you need to declutter your mind by refusing to dwell on past matters that you cannot change.
Perhaps you are wasting significant time on distractions. Let’s face it, we live in a distraction-infused society. A distraction is an unplanned occurrence that tempts you to shift your attention away from something of greater importance to something that is less important. As a pastor, I spend a substantial amount of time preparing to preach and teach. Studying Scripture of great importance to me, and as an introvert, I have no problem with being alone surrounded by a pile of books. But on occasion, personal interests of less importance draw me away from what I am supposed to be doing. Hobbies and pastimes can be helpful. They energize us and provide an opportunity to do something that we enjoy. Too often, however, these activities squeeze more and more time from our schedules. We must also admit that there are occasions in which certain leisure activities become a life-dominating problem. Perhaps you need to declutter your calendar so that you have more time to invest in your spiritual growth.
2. What do I need to reorganize in my life?
Perhaps your schedule has become overwhelming, and you are no longer speeding consistent time in personal Bible study and corporate worship. Perhaps you are not pursuing holiness because you have no time for personal study and private reflection. It might be that you need to reorganize your schedule so you can prioritize your spiritual health. I love exercising early in the morning. My morning routine is to read a short devotional before leaving for the gym. I always leave early enough so I have time to read a second devotional in the parking lot before the gym opens. These two devotional readings get my mind engaged with God’s Word first thing in the morning. Later in the morning I read Scripture. At lunch time I read from a third devotional. None of these reading sessions take a lot of time. But they are necessary. A little reorganization to your schedule may be all you need to find a few extra minutes each day to read Scripture along with a good devotional so that you can enjoy a vibrant relationship with Christ.
Perhaps your schedule has become so riddled with activity that you have little time for meaningful relationships. Whether it is with your spouse, children, or friends, an intentional investment of focused time is necessary. It might be that you need to reorganize your schedule so you can prioritize your interpersonal relationships. Marriages can quickly weaken without purposeful attention. Children grow up quickly. Do not allow the chaos of life to rob you of those precious moments with your kids – especially those moments when you can teach your children Scripture. Relationships deteriorate when we ignore them for too long. A little reorganization to your schedule may be all you need to find some meaningful time to spend with those you love.
3. What do I need to improve in my life?
Perhaps you are struggling spiritually, but not sure how or where to begin correcting your course. Practicing Bible-centered self-introspection is a healthy way to discern what areas of life you need to change. While morbid self-introspection can quickly become self-destructive and rob you of joy, regular evaluation of our condition before God is beneficial. As Jeremiah Burroughs noted, “A man who has a bad conscience does not care to look into his own soul, but loves to be out, and to look into other things; he never looks to himself” (from The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment, p. 39). It is intimidating to look into our hearts to discern our innermost battles. But it is essential soul work that must be done if we are to progress toward the goal of spiritual maturity.
Perhaps you are struggling spiritually, but you cannot discern the root of your trouble. Because we all have blind spots, there are times it is appropriate to seek loving input from a friend. After all, “Faithful are the wounds of a friend” (Proverbs 27:6). These faithful wounds can be just what is needed to heal the wounds of the past and correct your course for the future.
Perhaps you are well aware of where you need to change. Do not postpone repenting of your sin and correcting your course a moment longer. Stubbornly remaining in your sin will only deepen its grip on your life. Reorient your heart back to Scripture, and seek the glory of God above all else. Growing spiritually is not something you can accomplish through mere willpower. Along with prayer and a consistent diet of God’s holy Word, you need the wisdom and support of others. And you certainly need the power of the Holy Spirit to empower you to press on in the race God has placed before you.
Remodeling is never fun. But if you invest into remodeling your heart to look more like Christ, you will have spent your time and energy wisely. Declutter, reorganize, and improve by keeping the glorious finish line in view.