God’s Not Done with You

By Tauren Wells

Standing in your ruins feels a lot like the end. So used to losing, you’re afraid to try again.
Right now, all you see are ashes where there was a flame.
Truth is that you’re not forgotten, ‘cause Grace knows your name.

As I am writing this, there is construction going on outside my house. It is loud, annoying, and extremely inconvenient. The neighbors and I are forced to park our cars 2-3 blocks away from our homes. I don’t mind the walk, but I don’t like walking in the dark from my car to my house after work. Plus, today I had to work from home and I could literally feel the house shaking. The noise was so distracting while I was trying to pay attention to a meeting. But while this construction may inconvenience and annoy me, I have to remember that it is not being done “just because.”

There is always a purpose for construction—a road that needs repaving, water lines that need fixing, a home that needs building. The mess and inconvenience it causes at the beginning is only temporary. Once completed, you will see a smooth road with no potholes, taste cleaner water, and enjoy a strong and beautiful home. The construction is all for our benefit.

The construction going on in my neighborhood got me thinking about the Holy Spirit who, in a way, is basically like a construction worker. God uses the Holy Spirit to work on our hearts and renovate our lives.

You see, there are things that God tells us that we don’t want to hear, or things he wants us to do that we don’t. He convicts us of sin, lifestyle choices, and tasks that need completing. This conviction is construction. Most of us want this construction to happen. We want to follow God’s will and we want his help to dig us out of sin and sadness. Although, if we’re being honest, we want to do all this without disrupting our comfortable lives. We would rather ignore the unexpected detours on this road of life and do things our own way. But the truth is, we can’t expect God to change us without allowing him to chisel away at our hearts, and that chiseling might hurt.

When I graduated from high school, my youth pastor gave me a Bible and I’ll never forget what he wrote on the inside: “You have allowed God to mold and transform you, even when it hurt!”

I confess, there have been times when I have sinned or have dealt with some kind of problem and I did not want to face it because I knew that working through it would hurt or cause me to feel uncomfortable. It is in those times I need to remember the rest of what my pastor wrote. “Continue to dive into this love letter from God and transformation will continue to take place.”

The Word of God is there to teach us, correct us, rebuke us, and train us in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). It reminds me that if I confess my sins, God will begin a great work in me as he forgives me and cleanses my heart (1 John 1:19). I am also told that, “He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy” (Proverbs 28:13). The process of confessing your sins to God, talking with him about your struggles, and allowing him to sanctify you can be painful at times. But it is more painful to hold on to those things and not experience the freedom and renewal that is found in Jesus Christ.

It may seem to us that God’s construction projects are inconvenient, messy, and frustrating. We often forget that his thoughts, his plans, and his ways of doing things are not like our own (Isaiah 55:8-9, Proverbs 16:9). However, when we allow the Holy Spirit to do his job, we will find that the end results of the construction are far greater than we could ever imagine. We will become stronger, holier, and more prepared to face the next detour God puts in our way.

So, what is one area of your life that needs tearing down and rebuilding? Maybe you are struggling with relationships, mental health issues, or sin. Whatever it may be, I pray that you allow God to renovate your heart and allow God to mold and transform you, even when it hurts.

For every house is built by someone, but the builder of all things is God.
Hebrews 3:4

Click here to watch the music video for “God’s Not Done with You.”