“Fixer Upper”: Most of us have seen the show, or at least
heard about it. Chip and Joanna Gaines gained popularity through their TV show
that portrayed them helping different couples look for a fixer upper home
within their budget and then showing the process of transforming it into a
beautiful place they could call home. Such a great concept!
And, while it seems fun to take an old piece of junk and
transform it into something beautiful, the reality is that it’s a lot of work!
It’s never easy and not a whole lot of fun. Many hours of sweat and tears go
into the project. There’s frustration. There’s discouragement. There are unforeseen
obstacles. However, the reward of completing it is so great that people believe
that it was all worth it. Plus, who doesn’t want total bragging rights of
showing off what all you did with your own two hands?!
Fixing up an old, neglected house or an antique piece of
furniture certainly has its rewards. And, doing the work is a great hobby to
develop. I have found it to be very therapeutic and rewarding. However,
sometimes, we start to approach people
the same way as an old object. We enter into a relationship with someone with
the intention of ‘fixing’ them. We don’t like everything that encompasses that
person, so we decide that we will ‘put up with it’ until we are able to change
it. But the sad reality is that people
aren’t like houses or furniture. People
cannot be treated like fixer uppers.
Sure, we are all a work in progress. God’s Word tells us in
Ephesians 2:10 “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good
works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” God never
stops working in us and through us as long as we are alive on this planet. But,
the key word here is that we are God’s
workmanship. We are not anyone else’s project to fix. Nor, is anyone else our
project to fix. Only God can do the work in us that needs to be done. Absolutely, He
sends people into our lives to lift us up to Him in prayer and to speak the
truth of His word to us. After all, we are His body. And like He says in 1
Corinthians 12:27, “All of you together are Christ’s body, and each of you is a
part of it.” 1Corinthians 12:25-26 says, “This makes for harmony among the
members, so that all the members care for each other. If one part suffers, all
the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all the parts are glad.”
We need each other. We need the love and support of our big God family. But, we
need to step out of the way and let God
do the fixing. We can hand Him the tools. We can support Him by allowing him to
use us in the lives of others. But, we just can’t be the fixers!
From now on, any time a new person comes into your life, ask God to
show you what role you will play in their life. He doesn’t orchestrate
friendships by accident. He puts every single person in the exact place that
they need to be at the exact moment in time that they need to be there for His
divine purpose. He has a plan and there are no accidents! “For I know the plans
I have for you, says the Lord. Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans
to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11.
So, who has He put in
your life? Are you seeking Him for guidance in supporting that person? Or, are
you creating a Fixer Upper?
