Tearing Things Up and Crushing It: Part 2- Vessels

OK. I lied on several levels on Monday. For one, this post is coming two days after Part 1, instead of the next day. And it looks like this is Part 2 of several installments of the “Tearing Things Up and Crushing It” entry, instead of the second of two parts. Rather than listing all the lessons and symbols I’m observing in the renovations at once, I decided each thought would be more compelling if it stood alone as its own entry. So here is the first spiritual symbol that has stuck out to me in the renovation process:

1) It’s necessary to shed the sullied, crumbling parts. This might seem like a “duh” sort of statement, but I thought the spiritual lessons that can be found in ripping out old, decrepit, weak, and downright ugly structural elements were pretty striking. As I explained in the previous post, my housemates and I are largely pursuing these renovations to make our home better suited to hosting the people in our lives. I’m not saying that God can’t use our house if it stayed exactly the same as it was when we moved in, but our moves in shedding the old and replacing with the new are done with the aims of creating something better, more refined, and more effective at carrying out the mission we are passionate about. I can find parallels between this particular process and the words in this passage:

In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 2 Timothy 2:20-1

To me, the weak, crumbling, and old aspects of our house mimic the articles used for ignoble purposes in our spirits. Over time, the bad things in our house that went unnoticed would only get worse and ultimately pull down the value and function of the home. In shedding that which is unsightly and even harmful, we are transforming our home into something that is stronger and more beautiful. In much the same way, the ignoble aspects of our lives, personalities, and spirits bring down our entire being when we try to just look past them. Spiritually, these ignoble articles could include an area of our life that we just won’t trust God with, a past hurt, a feeling of inadequacy, a bad habit, and much more. In willingly entering the painful process of removing the elements of our lives that dull and weigh us down, we are taking the steps to be better used by God for His plans.

In this stage of construction, my prayer is that we could not only rip things out of our house, but also our hearts. (Sounds violent, I know). I hope that God further teaches us all how to be people who care more about others than ourselves, people who are focused on the end result rather than the often discouraging present circumstances, and people who desire to be part of something bigger and lasting, rather than follow our own whims. I know that I have a long way to go in these areas, and I am thankful that I have a community of people to grow with on this level. I am excited to see how God transforms us as a group into instruments for noble purposes.

I could be logical and discuss themes #2 and #3 in my next post, but I probably won’t do that. There are some pretty cool experiences we had in the neighborhood this past weekend, and I want to share them with you while they are still fresh. “Tearing Things Up and Crushing It” will be back soon though.