"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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