Magnolia Ain’t Got Nothin' on this Fixer Upper

Eat your heart out Chip & Joanna Gaines

During the power outages, we watched a home renovation show with my mom. We don’t have cable, so it served as nice turn-off-your-brain treat during a stressful week.

You know the script. A family approaches the experts in desperation. The experts and the family discuss how their home got this way and the budget they have for getting out of the hole. Through the mess and disarray the experts can see the beauty that could be and then get to work.

Inevitably, a surprise throws a wrench in the process and threatens to topple the project. The experts squirm and negotiate and (almost) without fail they deliver a beautiful renovation to an overjoyed family.

Now imagine, after the cameras turn off, Chip and Joanna Gaines giving the certified Magnolia Warranty that anything and everything in the house is covered by their care. All the family must do is call and broken faucets will be fixed, chipped shiplap will be repaired, and the house restored.

Even the room they left out of the show because of budget could be repaired. Joanna tells them, “Give us a call and we’ll finish that room too.”

As time goes on life goes on. The faucet gets a scuff. The kids dent a wall. The cement on the porch comes loose.

The family is overwhelmed with gratitude for the new life in the new home and they don’t want to bother with the Magnolia Warranty. More than that, they are embarrassed that after all they’ve received, they are still finding ways to mess it up. They have ignored that unfinished room so long, now it would be awkward to call the Gaines for the Magnolia Warranty.

The home slowly creeps into disrepair, with the Magnolia Warranty on the shelf.

When the Gospel is small, Christians make this same tragic mistake.

Jesus lived perfectly, died sacrificially, and rose victoriously. He offers full atonement and true reconciliation to the repentant believer. He gives the power of the Spirit to transform our lives and the security of knowing our heavenly hope.

God promises a Warranty far better than Magnolia. There is “no condemnation for those who are in Christ.”

Yet Christians often hide the broken faucets, unfinished rooms, and chipped paint of their sin because they don’t want to bother God after all He’s done… more honestly, they’re embarrassed to admit their sin after all they’ve received.

They’re not quite sure if God won’t come in and tear the house down for their stupidity. So, they slowly tear it down themselves with His promise of loving renovation sitting on the shelf.

Sin dies in the Light of Christ. Sin thrives in the dark of your embarrassment.

When Jesus paid it all and when the Word says “no condemnation” you should be propelled toward the renovation of your life. The embarrassment of your sins should not keep you from taking up Christ’s Warranty to renovate your life!  

Mercifully the Lord gave His Spirit to point out the chipped paint and unfinished rooms. Don’t ignore the Spirit, take up the Warranty and watch the renovation continue!

Christian! The Gospel of Jesus is big enough for you to run toward repentance! Christ’s atonement is secure enough that you will not be evicted for sin you confess, only assisted in renovation!