When choosing a new place to live, we like things to be move-in ready, don’t we?

We want a home where we don’t need to make any repairs. We don’t want to deal with wonky stairs, leaky faucets, frightful wallpaper, or dated fixtures.

We shy away from a house that requires a lot of work. We think: let someone else take on that mess. We want something in perfect condition.

We seem to have a built-in bias against any product that has a few “issues.” When we see something at a store that is discounted and marked “As-Is,” we don’t want it. We figure there’s something wrong with it.

Thankfully, God doesn’t see us that way.

He takes us as-is.

He doesn’t mind our messes, broken places, wonky personalities, quirks, or frightful attitudes.

God doesn’t shy away from our “issues.” He takes us as we are.

Our Heavenly Father doesn’t wait until we’re “good enough.” He accepts us first, then starts cleaning us up.

When we believe in Christ, He moves into our hearts and starts the renovation work.

"But Jesus answered them, 'My Father has been working until now [He has never ceased working], and I too am working.' ” (John 5:17)

Accepting Jesus as our Saviour is a one-time event, but our sanctification is ongoing. Through the work of the Holy Spirit, God arranges things into the proper order in our lives, renovates our poor choices, and makes things new.

"He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son." (Romans 8:29)

We emerge as new creations!

"This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)

God gives us the heart of His Son in place of our own shopworn one.

"I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezekiel 36:26)

God continues His work of sanctification throughout our lives, continually correcting something out of alignment over here, making adjustments over there, until the day that we “faultless stand before the throne.”

"Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault." (Jude 1:24)

When does God finish His renovation work on us? It’s only truly finished when we enter into His presence. As it says on Ruth Graham’s gravestone: “End of Construction—thank you for your patience.”

Praise God that He is faithful and patient with us, gradually whittling away the parts of our personalities that don’t resemble His Son.

He takes us as we are, with all our muddles and messes, and through Christ turns our lives into something beautiful!

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

philippians 1:6

© 2023 Lori J. Cartmell. All rights reserved.