Renovating My Heart

Winter is losing its grasp, and Spring is finally upon us!

It feels like winter grows longer and longer, but I am so thankful for this new season.

My husband and I are ready to start a renovation project in our upstairs bathroom.

I have wanted to redo this bathroom for years because I hate the floor. The previous owners left us with the original small white tiles, which are raised up with recessed white grout, and it just makes cleaning the floor a nightmare. We will also be painting the walls, redoing the tub and adding some additional storage space.

I’m excited to see the transformation because I have a vision in my head and I love watching a plan come together.

It is going to cost us something, though.

Renovation without investment isn’t going to change anything.

Renovation with investment can change everything…

Renovating My Life

Thinking about this project has made me think about my own life, too.  As time has passed this winter, I have found there are things I need to renovate in my life because they are starting to look worn down and broken. Winter has a way of encouraging me to be lazy and complacent.

Can anyone else relate?

If you're doing some spring cleaning, you may want to join Sheila and renovate your life… Click To Tweet

Complacency is a sure way to set yourself up for disappointment and failure. I know God wants His best for me, and so do I.

Learning to Invest

Each year I ask God for one word that will help give me motivation and direction throughout the year.

My word for this year, surprisingly enough, is “invest.” I’m not just speaking about financially, but physically, emotionally, and, more importantly, spiritually. Just like Hubs and I are investing in renovating our bathroom, I feel God calling me to invest in and renovate my soul.

In the past, I have been taught that for the believer, investing in self-care is self-centered, making us “self-ish.” The truth is, it is crucial to invest in our well-being. If we are not taking care of ourselves in the best way possible, not only do we lose, everybody around us loses. God loses too because we aren’t becoming the best version of ourselves.

Self-Care & Jesus

Jesus knew self-care was important.

He often went off by Himself for solitude and prayer.

Jesus knew the value of investing precious time with His Father and the power of renewing His spirit.

The enemy loves to make us feel guilt and shame for taking time for ourselves.

Why?

Because the enemy fears what will happen when we become the best version of ourselves by allowing God to renovate our souls.

In the middle of a renovation, there are always growing pains.

Renovation Takes Work… but It’s Worth It

Investing in something or someone is always hard work, even when it is yourself.

It isn’t easy to come to terms with your past mistakes or attitudes, but the result is an incredible reward when Jesus collects all the broken pieces and does a renovation project in your life. His workmanship is flawless, and It isn’t just a matter of cleaning up the past; it is about replacing the old you with a new one.

When we invest in ourselves spiritually, we become better people. It broadens our scope to cope with many of life’s difficulties and ushers in a newness that extends to our mind, body, and soul.

I will appreciate the bathroom when it is finished, but I’ve tackled renovation projects before, so I know in the middle of the mess I won’t like it very much. It is the same with me. Trust me, no one wants to look at a mess, especially when you’ve made the mess yourself and you are the only one responsible for cleaning it up. However, if I didn’t start investing in myself and trust in God’s help, I would never see the renovation taking place.

4 Results I’ve Seen From My Spiritual Renovation

One of my favorite verses is Psalm 51:10 (TLB) 

Create in me a new, clean heart, O God, filled with clean thoughts and right desires.

I am the first to admit I mess up every day. But, the good news about renovating our spiritual lives is the fact we don’t have to do it alone. I don’t, and neither do you!

No one knows what needs to be renovated in our lives the way God does. Just because something doesn’t look broken, doesn’t mean it isn’t. Ask God to show you what you need and help you make the necessary changes.

I have a friend who is renovating a home she recently purchased. Looking at her new home from the outside, it is easy for anyone to see a couple of things that should be fixed.  But without going inside the house and exploring, you would never realize the number of things that need to be repaired or replaced to restore the full beauty of the home.

God knows us from the inside out, and not only does He know all our flaws, but He also has a vision for restoring us to the full beauty He created within us.

Sweetening My Prayer Life

As this spiritual renovation project of mine unfolds, I have found a new love for solitude with God. I used to have my quiet time with God at night, but I consistently struggled to focus on what I was reading, and my prayer life was suffering. 

Now, before I get out of bed in the morning, I read my Bible and talk to God before I pick up my phone or even speak to my husband. Our time together has become sweet within my heart and I don’t want to do anything else until I have spent time with Him.

A Heightened Love for God’s Word

My love for God’s Word has reached a new level. This year I am reading the Bible chronologically, and although I have read through the Bible numerous times, the Old Testament is jumping off the pages and giving me new insights into His heart that I never saw before.

Renewed Creativity

My creativity and passion for writing have returned. I have a new sense of urgency for putting down my thoughts on paper, to get God’s message out to as many people as possible. My attitude has been renovated.  I’m no longer stuck in a rut of negativity.

I’m Learning To Say No

I’m learning to say, “No,” and it is okay.

As a person who has tendencies toward people-pleasing and basing her self-worth on what other people think, this has been my most significant investment, and the renovation is paying off. I know longer feel all the guilt or shame for not being all things to all people.

The exciting part of a renovation is the things you find in the process. While my friend was renovating her new home, she found the original blueprints for the house. And underneath some old worn carpet, there were beautiful wooden floors. She would never have even seen these things if she had never started the renovation.

It is the same for each of us when we begin the renovation of our hearts, mind, and soul. 

Proverbs 25:4 says:

Remove the dross from the silver, and a silversmith can produce a vessel;

The things that God reveals to us take hard work and some spiritual muscle, but they show us something more beautiful than we could ever imagine.

When I allowed God to start peeling back the layers of complacency and negativity and to clean out the impurities of who I think I am versus who He sees in His original blueprints, all I can do is smile and admire the work He is doing in my life.

Spring is a great time to invest in a new renovation project. Be prepared for something good to happen.

Join The Conversation

Did you pick a word for the year? If so, how has it played out in your life so far?

Have you done any spring cleaning in your spiritual life? We’d love to hear about it.

Do you have any other thoughts or comments you want to share?

Join the conversation in the comments below!

When we allow God to start peeling back the layers of complacency and negativity and to clean out the impurities of who we think we are, the women He created us to be will shine through. Click To Tweet