Character Costs

Character Costs

[Jesus] said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace. Your suffering is over.”

Mark 5:34

I live in an older home, built in 1925. Though many people have commented on how much character the house has, I have come to realize that character comes at a price. People love the wood floors, crown molding, and gabled roof. But they don’t realize that in the ten years we’ve lived in this house, I have had to put in new windows, remodel the basement, rebuild the screened-in porch, replace the boiler, repaint the interior and exterior, fix the fence, replace some of the gutters, and do a host of smaller repairs. In the process, I’ve gotten to know various plumbers, electricians, plasterers, painters, carpenters, and woodworkers.

Depending on the work that needs to be done, some of these craftsmen begin by messing things up even more. Like the guy who does the plaster work. I cringe whenever I see him twisting and turning a screwdriver into a wall or ceiling in order to probe the extent of the damage that needs to be repaired, even though I know that he has to do this before he can estimate the cost of fixing it.

Sometimes God works in our lives in a similar way, bringing a problem to light and then probing it painfully to show us the extent of the damage he is determined to repair. Maybe it’s a relationship issue. Take the case of a woman whose marriage is collapsing. Finally, she and her husband seek counseling in order to heal the marriage. As they work through issues together, it becomes clear that many of their marital difficulties are a carryover of problems she had with her father when she was a child. Though this discovery may open the door to future healing, it also opens the door to deeper pain as she looks back on a difficult childhood.

Like the craftsman who won’t simply slap a patch of plaster on a deteriorating wall, God is not interested in quick fixes that do not solve our deeper problems. When it comes to taking on the character of Christ, the process can at times be costly. But his aim is to bring a deeper healing, true shalom. And that should be our aim too.

Father, thank you for showing me places in my heart that need more of your healing grace. Help me to face whatever I need to in order to become the woman you want me to be.