We moved next to the white house. It represents every perfect thing that we are not. The neighbors lime washed their bricks with a bright white because the old brick color showed too many imperfections. They ripped out all their grass and replaced with new sod because they couldn’t stand the weeds or patches of grass that were imperfect. They replaced a perfectly good fence simply because it wasn’t good enough, and had all the flashing changed out as well, to make it more white. I have never lived in a neighborhood where keeping up with the “Jones'” was even possible, but now find that almost every other week this house has some new bell and whistle. In truth, it bothers me greatly, because that constant pursuit of perfection is exhausting. We just moved into our fixer upper next door and it has many cracks and flaws that are part of its character. We could not possibly begin to afford all the repairs it will need yet and even if we could, I question if that would be the best use of our time and money. Perfection seems like a beautiful thing until you are ever striving to meet it and failing. It leaves a constant sense of disappointment and weariness. Some Christians might compare perfection to Holiness. I attended an amazing Christian college called Asbury, where we would attend chapel three times a week and stare at a stage with “Holiness unto the Lord” inscribed in large gold letters. We were faced with that challenge weekly, and yet holiness is not perfection. It is a love centric move towards our Savior and a recognition of just how far we are from perfection by our own striving. There is truly only one who has ever been Holy, and his name is Jesus Christ. In His Word he tells us “Be Holy, because I am Holy.” He is not a white house staring us down with all our flaws. The white house is more like the law that was given to the Israelites in the Old Testament. In its perfection, it was constantly pointing out their shortcomings and inability to uphold it. Jesus is the red blood, shed on a cross that covers our old flawed fixer upper lives and says, who you are is more than enough, because I am and you are now in me. Even more so, He doesn’t just change our outward appearance or our behavior, He molds something far more precious, our hearts. He never wanted perfection, just hearts that are fully and passionately turned towards the Savior. Maybe you have a white house you are always living next to and not measuring up. Maybe your white house is that you aren’t a good enough parent and the list of mistakes you have made is longer than the good. Maybe your white house is you were never successful enough for those you love. Maybe you feel the pressure that you will never measure up at work. Maybe you just never felt good enough in general. Jesus calls all of us with cracks and brokenness to come and see. See how his love is not shame inducing or performance based, but instead a love that inspires holiness as we shape our hearts more like his. God help mold our hearts to yours. Fill us with a burning for the things that move your heart. Take back our hearts of stone and give us hearts of flesh.
I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh. Then they will follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. They will be my people, and I will be their God (NIV, Ezekiel 11:19-20)
