As we were stripping wallpaper from the walls of our dining room I uncovered writing on the plaster. The people who had lived here previously had written their names and the date they decorated. It was strange to think that these people had stood where I was standing stamping their mark upon the house, changing what was outdated and adding a new look. These people were gone, at least one I knew had died, and that generation had given way to this one. I thought about the changes they had made and whether they were good or bad. They removed the picture rails, which I would have kept, because they went out of fashion. They ripped out the fireplaces upstairs and installed hideous new ones downstairs. The gas fires that were probably the latest thing then are now considered ugly and outdated. What was considered old fashioned then has now become an original feature to be treasured. Houses are being lovingly restored to the way they were before the “names” had transformed them. One man’s improvement can seem like destruction to another. Now it was our turn to care for the property and we are removing the wallpaper in the bedroom, which the previous owner had painstakingly painted by hand. She used watercolour paints to add colour to each leaf and flower. As I tore it from the walls I wished I had met the lady who performed this labour of love. The decoration revealed her personality in a way a modern makeover would never do.
I began to think of the house of God and how things change with each generation. Sometimes the changes are good and positive but there is always a danger of scrapping what is valuable. Some generations have rediscovered important godly principles while others have tried to adapt to current world trends. Biblical truth that was lost in translation has been restored to the church but false teaching is always a danger. A better understanding of the Father heart of God and the moving of the Holy Spirit in this generation has blessed us, while the important truth about sin and repentance has challenged us. The gospel message has been restored after liberal theologians had robbed it of the power to change lives by allowing compromise to become the norm.
I wondered how the changes of this generation would be judged by the next. As I uncovered holes and crumbling plaster, I wondered whether we would be seen as those who merely papered over the cracks, or as restorers of God’s house.
A friend told me that when they decorated they had written scriptures on the walls and along the skirting boards. The word of God hidden there is like the word of God hidden in our hearts releasing power in the secret place. The spiritual atmosphere is changed by the word and countless lives are influenced. This is not some magical “mumbo jumbo” or whimsical message. It is much more than sentimental social history or factual information to be revealed by archaeological digs. This is a prophetic statement of intent, declaring the property and all within it is dedicated to God and to His purposes. We declare with Joshua
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”
We must be confident of what we are building, knowing that we build on a firm foundation and that we build to the glory of God. I want God’s word to penetrate my whole life so that if the top layer is scraped away it will be found written right to the core like a stick of seaside rock.
So with every hour we spend scraping and filling, painting and decorating, I am thinking of the importance of preparing our hearts. Most of the work God does in us is hidden. We can try to fool people by covering up areas we don’t want to deal with, but one day all will be revealed. Some of the old may have to be chipped away and the rough edges in our lives made smooth, but it will be worth the pain and the time it takes. I love the feel of smooth plaster and it is such a pleasure to paint. I want my life to be a smooth surface for God to paint His masterstrokes upon as He builds His house of living stones.
