Years ago there was a show called “Home Improvement.” I want to use that title over the next few days to help us think about ways we can bring improvement to our homes as followers of Jesus.

The old adage tells us “home is where the heart is.” 1 Peter 3 encourages us:

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord

If home is where the heart is and you have set apart Christ as Lord in your heart, then you will have set apart Christ as Lord in your home. That is what is needed for real home improvement: Set apart Christ as Lord.

Home improvement is an ongoing process. Everyone has their own stories about the “joys” of home ownership. I remember a time when all our girls were still living in our home. We had a water leak in one of our bathrooms which provided the perfect excuse to remodel it, included installing a new tub/shower, tiling the floor, and hanging wallpaper. Then I started painting the outside of my house in May. I spent a little time after work each day for about two weeks before I got it all done.  Then I had to paint the fence, because it looked terrible next to a freshly painted house. But before I could paint the fence, I had to replace all the rotted wood and the places where termites decided to homestead. Then we started to notice foundation problems, with sticking doors and cracked drywall. This was all in the span of about two months.

If you have a home, there is always something that needs doing. Physical home improvement is an ongoing process. The same is true of the individuals who make up a household. They need ongoing home improvement. Just as all kinds of problems arise in a physical structure, problems are constantly appearing in the lives of those in the home.

1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord

Think about what that means: If Christ is the Lord of your home, He is the Master, the one in control, He is in charge of everything that happens in your house. Do you act that way in your home? Is everything that you say and do in your home a reflection of the Lordship of Jesus in that household? Of course not. In fact, I sometimes think that sin is intensified in our family situations. That is why we need to remember what the one who is Lord has already done for us. We set apart as Lord in our hearts the one who came to save us from our sins. Our Lord has paid the penalty our sins deserve, conquered death and the grave for us, and freely forgives us and promises life everlasting. That is the beginning of our needed Home Improvement.