REMODELING BEGINS WITH THE HOUSEHOLD OF GOD

Have you ever seen a house while in the process of being remodeled? It's pretty messy - nothing appealing about it. However, we are not shocked by its unsightly appearance, because we expect it to be unsightly for a while. Nor do we scorn the owner because of its unsightliness. Why not? Because we know that the remodeling is temporary and necessary to produce something better.

However, we react to our own unsightly lives in a very different way. We fail to see that our Savior's remodeling work is only temporary and is producing something far more beautiful. We, therefore, become discouraged over our failures, weaknesses, and moral lapses, failing to see that these stages in the process of remodeling are necessary.

Sometimes, walls have to be torn down to expose the old plumbing and wiring to make improvements. Our sins must also be exposed. This is necessary. It humbles us and causes us to mourn, but this process is truly blessed, as Jesus had taught:

• “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” (Matthew 5:3-5)

We will not mourn and "hunger and thirst for righteousness" until our sins are revealed and we learn to despair of our own righteousness and merit. We will never come to appreciate our Lord and His mercy until we are repeatedly shown that we so desperately need it. We will never be lovingly united with our Savior until we realize that He is all that we have - our only hope.

All of this requires remodeling - the work of the Spirit - and it will be painful:

• Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:7-11)