Fixer Uppers (Part 1)
- Richard Selke
- Jan 7
- 6 min read
Updated: Jan 28
January 8, 2025
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When I was growing up in Houston, I lived with my parents, two sisters and my little brother. I was the oldest and my brother was the youngest. My Mom and Dad had their bedroom, my sisters shared a bedroom and my brother and I shared a bedroom. When I was twelve, he was seven. I love my brother but at that time, five years made a big difference. It got to the point where I could not stand sharing a bedroom with him anymore.
So I went to my father and said, “Dad, I want my own room.” He smiled, and said, “Well, son, that’s great but if you’ll look around our house, you’ll notice that we don’t have any spare rooms, they’re all occupied.”
So I went away and contemplated my problem. Sharing a bedroom with my brother grew worse and worse. It became unbearable, absolutely awful! I needed a plan. So I went back to my Dad with a proposal.
“Why don’t we add another room on to our house?” I suggested. “It can be my bedroom. If I design it, will you help me build it?”
And Dad said, “Sure!” That was my Dad!
My proposal to build a room wasn’t as preposterous as it might sound. My father was a doctor and a craftsman. We always had some kind of home improvement project going on involving planning, designing, measuring, sawing, hammering, painting and repairing. So by the time I was twelve, I was quite comfortable with hand tools, power tools and bench tools.
I drew up a plan, took it to my Dad and he said, “OK. Let’s go!” And so we began a project that spanned 2 1/2 years of weekends, holidays and summers with help from friends, relatives and anyone who happened to wander by who could lend a hand. We did everything without hiring any contractors including demolition, framing, carpentry, roofing, wiring, insulation, ductwork, painting and carpeting. I moved in when I was fifteen. I learned a lot about design, construction and hard work from that project.
Ten years later I bought my first house. The man I bought it from had purchased an old house, fixed it up and sold it to me. Every house I’ve ever owned, except one, has been a “fixer upper.” Some I’ve fixed up to live in, others to resell.
There’s a simple formula for a fixer upper:
· What’s the current condition?
· What improvements do we want to make (the “Work”)?
· Who’s going to do the Work?
· What’s it going to cost to fix up?
· What’s its value in its current condition?
· What will its value be after the Work is complete?
· How long is it going to take to complete the Work?
The process of fixing up a house mirrors the way God works to transform our lives:
· What’s our current condition?
· What improvements does God want to make in us (His Work)?
· Who’s going to do the Work in us?
· What’s it going to cost to fix us up?
· What is our value in our current condition?
· What will our value be after God completes His work in us?
· How long is it going to take God to complete us?
Let’s compare fixing up our lives to fixing up a house:
What’s the house’s current condition? Sometimes that’s easy to tell; sometimes it’s not. Inspectors are important and very helpful in this determination. Once Susan and I signed a contract to purchase a house. We loved it, it looked good, we wanted to do some minor cosmetic things that wouldn’t cost very much. We got the inspection report and there was a problem with almost everything that there could be a problem with! I told Susan, “We can’t buy this house!” – and we didn’t. A house can look really good, but have extensive problems - mold behind beautifully painted walls. Termites and rotted framing. Leaks that have been professionally covered up. Appliances and systems about to go out. Cracks in the foundation. I have seen houses with foundations so problematic they make otherwise expensive houses absolutely worthless. Sometimes the condition of a house is such that there’s just too much to do. It would cost too much to make the necessary repairs. Sometimes a house is a “tear down.”
What’s our current condition? Just like a house, sometimes that’s easy to tell; sometimes it’s not. We can look real good on the outside but be falling apart on the inside. God can be our personal “Inspector.” If we invite Jesus into our lives, if we build our lives on Him, He will tell us what it is about us that needs “fixin’.”
What improvements do you want to make to the house (the Work)? Depending on the current condition of the house, there’s a wide range of improvements you could make from cosmetic and relatively inexpensive to extensive and very expensive. Some houses just need some paint, new carpet, hardware and lighting fixtures. Add some landscaping and that’s pretty much it. Some need new appliances, electrical upgrades, new plumbing. Some need walls moved and rooms added. Some need to be gutted – taken down to the studs and rebuilt. Some need foundation work, that is those with foundations that are “fixable.” If it’s an extensive “fixer upper” you might need an architect or a designer to help you.
In the Bible, Jesus tells the parable of the wise and foolish builders:"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." Matthew 7:24-27, NIV. This is more than a story about architecture and building houses – it’s a blueprint for living.
What improvements does God want to make in us (His Work)? We are all being transformed from the image of God to the likeness of Christ. Only God knows exactly what His plan, “His Work” is, for each of us. He is The Architect, The Designer of our lives.
We will continue our discussion next week ...
REMEMBER & BELIEVE
Christ has died; Christ is risen; Christ will come again.
In the meantime, consider your spiritual foundation. Are you building your life on the solid rock of Jesus Christ?
QUESTIONS
What is your current condition? Are there hidden cracks in your foundation? What might an honest inspection by God reveal?
PRAYER
Lord, help us to examine the foundation of our lives. Reveal the areas that need Your healing touch and guide us, with Your help, to build our lives on the solid rock of Your Word.
Our Father Who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil and the evil one. For Thine is the kingdom and the power, and the glory, forever and ever.
Amen
“This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24 (NRSV)
God bless you!
Richard
Christ Worshipper | Disciple Maker | Hope Giver
Welcome to In the Meantime. I'm glad you're here! We are living in the time between Christ's ascension into heaven and His promised return to earth. In the Meantime is a collection of stories about God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and His presence, love, mercy and grace in my life. In the Meantime, Jesus is Lord! Hallelujah!
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