The Envy of the Neighborhood

I love HGTV; I mean - LOVE IT! Years ago, of course, I would rather watch cartoons or some lame sitcom. But, as I grow and maintain a house of my own, HGTV becomes more and more fascinating. There is something about dramatic transformation that just catches my eye. I mean, who doesn't love to see a stinky, dilapidated, non-functioning kitchen turn into the envy of the neighborhood? Why wouldn't I want my home dramatically transformed for the better? But, of course, on HGTV, they don't just focus on the inside. Some of the houses have MAJOR structural damage. So, they spend time fixing the unseen as it directly impacts the seen.

And, here's what I started thinking - if I desire for my home to look good, smell good, function well, last long, and present itself in the best possible manner, then I wonder if Jesus desires the same?

Let me explain - when we become Christians, Jesus dwells in us. In 1 Peter 2:5 it states, "you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." And, then, in Ephesians 3:16-17, it says, "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith..."

What does this mean? Well, here's what I think - we all want to put our best foot forward. We want people to see us not as the stinky, dilapidated, non-functioning kitchen. We would rather our lives be something like the envy of the neighborhood. But, lets be honest - who cares if you've got stainless steel appliances if they don't work? Who cares if you have hardwood floors if they are caving in? You see, its not whats on the outside that counts... its whats inside. Because believe it or not, our unseen directly affects our seen. Whatever is going on inside our hearts will eventually, if not already, be available for viewing. So, we need a firm foundation - Jesus. We need to establish and build a strong spiritual house - prayer, tithe and bible study. So, that our outside - our life, our persona - is not easily impacted by the world around us. We need to not work on what people think about us, but actually work on us. We need to affect our unseen (our personal relationship with God) so that it becomes the main thing that is seen! And, then, we will be the envy of the neighborhood.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1