A Mangled Heart
Three years ago, my husband and I were in the midst of renovating an entire house. We’d searched a few months for the right property and finally found a little fixer upper in a great location. Our purpose was to transform the rundown, dilapidated house into a beautiful home for our daughter and her family. We had no idea the extent of work that would have to be done for that to become reality.
Kitchen before renovation 
Bathroom before renovation
Less than a week into the renovation, we came to the realization there was no insulation in the walls of the house. That meant we had to tear out every single wall and literally strip the house down to the studs. Once the walls came down, hidden problems were revealed.
This tangled mess of wires that had been hidden behind the kitchen wall, was now exposed and had to be dealt with.
Throughout the renovation of the house, I was regularly reminded of the renovation that takes place in our hearts when we give our lives to Jesus. We come to Him as “fixer uppers” in need of a complete transformation. Our hearts are a tangled mess hidden behind the walls we’ve erected to keep people at a safe distance.
Let’s be real here. We all know the typical answer at church on Sunday mornings when people ask how we’re doing, right? Let’s say it together…”Fine.” But how often are we really fine? If we’re honest, we’d probably say we’re a mess in some form or another on most days.
Had my husband and I not dealt with the mess of wiring, it would have remained a potential fire hazard. The entire house could have been lost down the road. The same is true in our lives. If we don’t allow God to deal with the tangled mess of our hearts and set things right, we are at risk for complete destruction in our lives.
Rather than pretending we’re fine, what we really need is to ask the Master Builder to tear down the walls around our hearts and perform a major renovation. God sees the mess within and He’s not overwhelmed, or running in the opposite direction.
While all the walls were torn out of the house, I went through every room and wrote scripture on the walls and studs. I prayed those scriptures for each member of the family who would be living in the home.
One of the ways we can allow God to build us into a strong house for Him is to write Scripture on our hearts. Reading, studying and memorizing His word is a great way to allow God to untangle our hearts and set things right.
God, in His mighty power, can transform an ugly, guilty, shame-filled, heart into a brand new, completely changed, Spirit-filled heart. When we turn from our sin and surrender to Him, He gives us a brand new life and puts a new heart within us.
“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
“And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart.” Ezekiel 36:26
If we know Christ, we have the new heart within us already! God continues to renovate us “fixer uppers,” but through the power of Christ, we can choose every day to overcome the sin, discouragement, and disappointments that can cause our hearts to be mangled.
The transformation may be long and hard, and we may face unforeseen obstacles along the way, but the completed renovation is worth it all.
Renovated Bathroom 
Renovated Kitchen
Join the conversation. How has God renovated your heart? Share in the comments below to encourage others with your story of transformation.
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Deena Adams
As a Jesus girl for more than thirty years, Deena Adams understands how important hope is to daily life, which fuels her passion to inspire others through hope-filled fiction based on true to life stories. She is represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency and is a multi-award-winning writer, an active ACFW member, and ACFW Virginia president. Connect with Deena through her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
