Day 23: Extreme Makeover
I remember the reality TV show called Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. The focus of the show was on providing home improvements for less fortunate families. Their construction team would go in and demolish a dilapidated family home and transform their former dwelling place into something spectacular, made from high end building materials and furnished with top of the line furniture and appliances. It was amazing how these families trusted and allowed these contractors to come in, tear down, and restore a house that had essentially fallen apart.
This reality show parallels what happens when you gave your life to Christ. The Holy Spirit (the construction team) entered you which gave the Holy Spirit license to rule and reign in your life (transform your dwelling place). In order for that to happen you have to relinquish your control and your will over to God so that He can shape and mold you into that man or woman He designed you to be. God wants you to trust Him so that He can change you from within which means that He brings in the demolition crew to tear down strongholds, mindsets, destructive habits and behaviors that made cracks in your foundation causing your dwelling place to be unlivable. This process allows Him to restore, heal, and make everything brand new. He uses the finest building materials that only come from above, which are the fruits of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22–23).
If you try to live your life without Christ leading and guiding the way, it will eventually fall apart and you will never reach and fulfill the divine destiny to which God has called you. This is why Christ tells us in his word that without him we can do absolutely nothing (John 15:5). God also tells us that if we try to build our own houses by our own efforts, without His direct guidance, we will end up laboring “in vain” (Ps. 127:1). Finally, the Word also says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).
Read Romans 12:1-2
Questions to Consider:
Who is in control: God or you? Do you want to see more fruit in your life? Are you ready for an extreme makeover which allows the Holy Spirit to transform you from within?
Father, please forgive me for not giving you complete control over my life. I choose to turn away my sinful fleshly desires and surrender my will and submit to yours and ask you to change me into the man or woman you created me to be. I ask all these things in Yeshua’s (Jesus) precious name.
By Victoria Clark