Living Spaces

by Katie Harding on February 13, 2023

It’s a lot easier to invite Jesus into our lives than into our living spaces. It’s in our living spaces where we hide our messes — like the brokenness we’ve experienced, the unforgiveness we harbor, the bad habits we don’t change, and the addictions we can’t break. Maybe we’re embarrassed or don’t feel worthy, or maybe our “mess” seems too painful to address.

It’s in our living spaces where we might feel irritable, fearful, or out of sorts. We have chosen Jesus, but it seems like there is still something missing because we can’t make behavioral changes stick no matter how hard we try. We want God to change our circumstances and don’t understand why they don’t improve. But what if God’s way of changing our circumstances is by changing our lives?

“What if God’s way of changing our circumstances is by changing our lives?”

There is a reason Paul said to “work out our salvation with fear and trembling.” This is where many of us have stalled or become stuck. We keep trying to clean up our living spaces and get them in order by ourselves to make them presentable to Jesus, all to no avail. What we don’t realize is Jesus is already in the midst of the messiness waiting to be invited to help us make changes. The Light has entered the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome It…or even chase It away.

Jesus doesn’t expect us to be anyone other than who we are. If we’ve experienced brokenness, He knows. If we feel out of sorts, He knows. If we harbor unforgiveness, He knows. If we have a bad habit we can’t change or an addiction we can’t break, He knows that, too. Jesus knows it all, and He still loves us deeply and desires a relationship with each and every one of us.

So, what happens when we invite Jesus to help us in our living space? It’s like inviting a friend into a closed-off-room to lend a hand as we clean it out. We surrender to their wisdom as they help us clear out the unnecessary clutter we’ve held onto for years.

Are there changes you want to make in your living space? Consider inviting Jesus to help you today.