By Kristen Mudrack

We bought a house not too long ago. A very adult thing to do, I know. Mortgage and loans and all – we own (well, the bank owns) a house.

The first thing we did was pull up some disgusting green carpet outside and then all of the carpet inside.

Why?

Because the green carpet was disgusting, and the inside carpet wasn’t great for my allergies and coughing, and it honestly wasn’t that great either.

But really it was because we wanted to make the house our own. We wanted to change it and fix it because it was ours now.

This got me thinking the other day. About how when Jesus comes into our lives, He wants to make some changes. Out with the old, and in with the new, as 2 Corinthians says.

Jesus doesn’t come into our lives and expect things to stay the same. He expects things to change – priorities to shift, time and money to be given elsewhere, sin to be dealt with. These changes don’t usually happen overnight, but gradually. And these changes often aren’t easy. It’s hard to kick old habits that aren’t glorifying to God. Hard to realign our priorities, time, money, and so much more.

How silly it would be for us to move into our new house and change nothing, not make it our own. How difficult it is to make something your home if it isn’t really yours.

And yet, how often we expect God to come into our lives and change nothing.

But we didn’t demolish our entire home – there was no need. We didn’t raze the place to the ground and start completely over – that would have been a waste of money and time and space.

You see, God uses what you’ve got. He works where you are. He doesn’t come into your life and decide you’re not worth it and so demolishes the whole thing and starts over. He doesn’t work that way.

God uses your talents, your gifts, your passions and your personality to do His work – to build up His kingdom here on Earth. And yes, He changes things. Things that are for your good, and for His purposes.

It certainly wasn’t easy to pull out all of the carpet and replace it with a new floor. It took time, money, and friends to help. It took long hours and late nights and hammered fingers and cuts and bruises. But the change was worth it – because it is our home.

Change is worth it, when Jesus is involved. It’s not easy. Not always fun, and definitely causes a few bumps and bruises. Letting God make you new takes time, patience, and people. Iron sharpening iron.

And the work isn’t ever done.

Now that the carpet is out and the floor is in, the baseboard is (mostly) replaced, the small cracks filled in, and the green carpet is history, we get to start working on other projects – like the overgrown, weed-infested backyard. And front yard. And side yard. Pretty much the whole yard.

As I work to cultivate the land and house that God has blessed us with, I pray that I will allow Him to work and cultivate and change me into the person that He is calling me to be.