A House is A House

We have been house shopping!

This includes looking at a lot of houses. Thinking we have found the one, only to walk out the door and find out it sold an hour before.

I have day-dreamed and imagined us in each house. I know exactly what I want in our house from the floors to the color of the kitchen cabinets.

I have had to wrestle with what is truly important about our future house. And what is not.

I can honestly, and ashamedly, say that I have spent an ungodly amount of time in the past few weeks thinking about and pouring myself and cares into our future home.

I have agonized about the large decision weighing over us. I have been disappointed about houses that have finishes that are not my first choice.  Disappointed to a point that I was no longer looking forward to a house of our own.

I have made this house my God.

It has determined my happiness.

I have looked for it to satisfy me.

As we do so many things of this world.

Significant others.

Romance.

A job. 

A new place to live. 

None of these things, not the love of my life, not serving others in my job, not moving to a new city, not having the best friends in the world, not the way I look, not the weight I lose (or gain)...
will bring me happiness apart from Christ. 

How many time have I thought...
"If I could just get this or have that.. then I will truly be happy..."

When I get engaged...

After I get married...

When I get into PT school...

When I have a job...

When we have a house..

Happiness in this world is elusive. This world is temporary, as are all things I want for. Everything apart of Christ is temporary.

17The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.

1 John 2:17

If my joy is not found in the Lord, I will never have true joy.



What the heck does that look like?!

I mean, that sounds all well and good, and I KNOW these things to be true...

but how do I live like they are true?

I will pray.

At the end of the day I am more like this world than I am like Christ and I can do nothing on my own to change that.

As crazy as it sounds, I will ask God to make my longings to be for Him. Not people or possessions or accomplishments.

I will pray to see the things of this world for what they are: temporary and fleeting

Michael is my husband. He is not supposed to complete me.

My job is a method to bring God glory and share His love, not fulfill me.

A house is a house.

It is a worldly thing. The color of the cabinets have no bearing on eternity.

God's will, to love and live in communion with Him, can be fulfilled regardless

the people around us,

the hurt inside of us,

the checks we cash,

the work we do,

and

the walls that surrounds us.