Tear Down to Build Up




"See, I have appointed you this day over the nations and over the kingdoms, to pluck up and to break down, to destroy and to overthrow, to build and to plant."  Jeremiah 1:10

My backyard looks like a terrible Greek tragedy!  Rock piles!  Clumps of dug up earth!  Uneven ground!  It’s less than pretty.  My wife and I have a plan: WE WANT MORE GRASS GROWING!!  To do that, all the rocks must go.  The concrete walkway (which is also uneven) has to be dug up and hauled out.  The ground needs to be tilled up for fresh soil to mix in.  Then, laying down new sod.  There’s a LOT of work to be done.  Every day, the yard looks just a little worse.  Ground zero!  However, this step is vital.  We cannot create the vision that we have until we tear down what is already there.

Why must one tear down before they can build?  Think about it.  Can you build a new house over an existing house?  Of course not.  Can you build a beautiful deck over an old, rotting one?  Not without having a poor looking result.  Can you install new parts to your car and still keep the old pieces intact?  It just doesn’t work that way.  Let’s go one step further:  Can you be born into the life of your Savior, without dying first to the sinful life?  Futile.

If the old remains, it could ruin the new.  I could find shortcuts to creating a beautiful yard.  Let’s face it, it won’t last.  I will have trouble properly maintaining it.  It will create more problems down the road.  I want to create it once, then enjoy it.  If anything, making additions, as we see fit, will be easier to do.  Should it be any different on how we create our lives?

I would love to say that once you commit yourself to Christ and our immersed into the waters of baptism, then you are in great shape.  I think my fellow Christians know that isn’t true.  Many start out strong.  However, instead of clearing away their old lives, they attempt to build new pieces to what is already there.  The foundation isn’t solid and won’t support the new life.  We should ensure that we have totally torn down our old lives, making sure that we have removed every board and nail that we previously used to construct our daily lives.  We need to be able to begin again with an empty plot, so to speak.  Only then, can we start fresh.  A new beginning to a new life. 


While our yard may not look like we want, now; we do look forward to what it will become, with proper time, planning, and care.  

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