Does Your Sub-Floor Need to Be Ripped Out?

Posted in , , By Patty Kennedy 0 comments


A couple of years ago, workmen tore out all the carpet to install hardwood floors throughout our home. As I watched, I realized again how life often provides wonderful illustrations of spiritual truths. What I thought was going to be an easy process turned out to be more labor-intensive. Why? Because two years prior to the flooring project, we added a guest suite onto our home. The guest suite and the hall leading to it had hardwood flooring, but the rest of the house was carpeted.

When the carpeting was taken up, the workmen discovered that they needed to also tear out the wood sub-flooring. If they didn't, the new hardwood would not be level with the existing hardwood floor.

In order for the new hardwood to have a solid foundation, layers of preexisting carpet and flooring had to be removed. Watching the process prompted me to think about my own life and my own walk with God. All of us have to grow beyond what we were taught as children. For some of us, being a Christian merely meant we went to church weekly, and didn't swear or lie or disobey our parents. Others got a picture of what Christianity looked like from observing people in their church.

Whatever your story, I think it's safe to say that we all have "sub-flooring" that needs to be ripped out at some point in our lives. We can't just add Christianity to our lives like adding another app to our iPhone. Jesus says if we want to come after Him, we have to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him. He asked the rich young ruler to sell all that he had, because He knew that possessions had become an idol to him.

Uprooting the old to make room for the new is a solid spiritual truth. In Luke 5, Jesus said we can't pour new wine into old wine skins, or both would be ruined.

Today, take some time to think about what your foundation consists of. Is all the yucky sub-flooring out of the way so that new hardwood can be laid? Or are you still clinging stubbornly to old, not-so-accurate ideas of what you think Christianity should be? What does "following Jesus" look like in your life?