A little over eight years ago, my wife and I built our first house together. Over the past couple of years, we have been repainting the interior walls and have replaced carpeting, and now are replacing door jambs and repainting exterior doors.
There is a part of me that is surprised and discouraged by that. We have owned other houses, and I knew there always was something to fix up, even if the house was not sold as “a fixer-upper.” But I did not think about doing much work to a brand-new home.
However, the house that was brand-new in 2006 has been lived in.
There are dings on the walls and settling of the foundation, appliances have been used, and the weather has taken its toll. Owning a home is a never-ending job. There always is something that needs to be repaired.
The Christian life is a lot like a house. When we are first converted, there is a freshness and an excitement in the air. We feel on the top of the world. But the Christian life does not consist of a one-time event (though it does start there). The Christian life is a process that takes a lifetime to accomplish.
I know more about the Bible today than I did eight years ago. But in the past eight years, I have not always followed its teachings. I need occasionally to spruce up my own life — or, more accurately, to allow the Lord to change me.
As long as I live in my house, there will be something that needs fixing. A new roof and a new heating/air-conditioning unit will be needed in the next 10 years or so.
We will have to repaint again. And there are small matters like vacuuming the floor and cutting the grass that are weekly events. Neglect any of them, and the house will fall into disrepair.
The same is true of your life. If you are a Christian and ignore or neglect regular maintenance, your life will not be all that it could be.
Every Christian needs to be involved in the life of a church family. We need to worship and serve others. We need to read our Bibles and pray on a regular basis. Without such, we fall apart.
Don’t neglect regular maintenance on your Christian life. Walk with God every day. Worship, serve and pray.
You’ll be glad you did.