Did you know it is apparently the right of all Americans to have granite countertops in our kitchens?
If this is news to you, you’re just not watching enough home improvement shows.
I’ve been watching more television than usual as I recover from surgery. The surgeon found a hot mess in my hip and his repair work has left me needing serious (and legal) pain relief.
My brain is fuzzier than an Edgefield County peach right now, so my mental and physical activities are limited.
Watching much of what is offered on daytime TV would make any normal person want to jump off the nearest cliff—shows like “Judge Judy” are all the proof I need that humankind is certainly not evolving—so I’ve been tuning in to the Home & Garden Network (HGTV) fairly often.
Not only is it satisfying to see rundown houses transformed into cozy havens of order and style, I’ve even gleaned some spiritual lessons from these shows.
Take the granite countertop thing. Granite is a “must have” for almost everyone buying or renovating houses on TV, and folks get real ornery if they can’t have it, even if their construction budget is about ten bucks.
I’m pretty sure that’s called an inflated sense of entitlement. I probably spot it quickly in others because I too often also see it in myself.
I’d hate for you to hear me when our power goes out for more than a few hours. It’s not pretty.
Here’s an attitude check: Am I consciously, consistently and overwhelmingly thankful for “basics” like clean water, clothes, food, and a roof over my head? Do I really know that these, and all the good things in my life, are blessings, not rights?
Self-entitlement grows like a deadly cancer in an unthankful heart. If left unchecked, we might one day find ourselves on national TV having a ridiculous hissy fit over countertops.
Another HGTV observation: People in other parts of the country pay crazy prices for very average houses. Every time I watch a house-hunting show, I want to scream, “What’s wrong with you people? Why don’t you move to South Carolina and get something for your money?”
The fact is, the value of real estate, like everything else, is determined by what people are willing to pay for it. Nobody would pay half a million dollars for a teeny bungalow here, but they will in Los Angeles.
With that in mind, consider how much God paid for us—“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Do you feel like your life is worth the life of Jesus Christ? I don’t. But that’s what God paid for us. A mind-boggling, heart-melting, life-changing truth.
One final observation: It may take only 30 minutes to transform a house on TV, but renovating a life takes a lot longer than that.
Spiritually, we’re made new the moment we sincerely decide to follow Christ and accept His salvation (2 Corinthians 5:17), but remodeling our thoughts and actions is a process that takes a lifetime (Philippians 1:6). We’re all definitely “fixer-uppers.”
God instantly works His salvation into our lives, and we gradually work it out as we allow the Holy Spirit and God’s Word to remodel our minds, hearts and habits. The before-and-after pictures are incredible when we allow God to do what He wants to do.
So, there you go—lessons about gratitude, redemption, and sanctification, all right there on HGTV.
I love the way God sneaks up on me like that.
“For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works …” – Ephesians 2:10