And this is the garage

We are selling our house and are showing prospective buyers round the property. 

We show them the smartly furnished downstairs rooms, then I show them the bedrooms with the older carpets then the outside of the house and the garage, they usually ask to see inside where they see the garage full of items I have kept "just in case" or what anyone else would say is "rubbish".There is needless to say with all the rubbish, no room for even the smallest car !

A person's life can be viewed as a "house".

Which "rooms" of our life would we invite Jesus to see, or to take control ? We are quite proud to show visitors our front room, but the garage or the understairs cupboard that is another matter. The understairs cupboard of our lives are those parts of our lives which we want to keep under our control and run the way we want, and like my garage or perhaps your understairs cupboard the result often looks a pretty mess.

We might think that prospective buyers would be put off by the mess in the garage, but they are not. They can see the potential in the house, they will get rid of the things they are not pleased with in the house and soon they will have the house looking just the way they want it to look.

Jesus is not easily put off, he relishes a challenge, he wants to move into our lives (our house) and sort out every part of it (every room). The "skip" (dumpster) will be at the front of the house and will soon be filled up with all the things that don't please him (the rubbish).

Jesus doesn't force his way into our lives but waits to be invited in, we can then be restored to how Jesus wants us to be.

"Here I am ! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." (Revelation Chapter3 verse20)

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come ! (2 Corinthians Chapter5 verse17)

Author Michael Fowler 1998