Home Inspections!

In preparation to move, we put our house on the market, someone liked it, and we’ve gone under contract. The next step is the home inspection.

We are ready. We disclosed everything we’re aware of. We set out a pot of fresh coffee, bottled water on ice, a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a note welcoming the inspector, the buyers and their realtor.

Then we left for the afternoon.

We took a little road trip to a nearby suburb, walked around the quaint downtown, had lunch, got ice cream and I tried, unsuccessfully, to hide the turmoil and angst that was roiling in my gut. Brian, I apologize for being such a nasty person to be around that afternoon.

What was my problem?!?!

I knew we’d kept up on the maintenance of our house, it was clean, updated, and it looked really nice. But I had an issue with a stranger “inspecting” my house.

I knew that someone shining lights in the dark corners of the crawl space, climbing up in the attics, looking under the counters trying to find something out of order probably would. It bothered me that I couldn’t be there to explain away anything he might question.

My problem: I was struggling with the same uneasiness I have when I ask the Lord to search my heart. Ugh!

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” – Psalm 139:23-24 NIV

For the most part, like my house, my heart is clean, I keep up on confession, I try to keep a short account with the Lord and others, I’m updated in my Bible reading, I look really nice to other people, but when the Lord shines His cleansing light into the far corners of my heart, He’s going to find something that shouldn’t be there.

The spiritual dilemma for me is that I don’t want to live with hidden, or unconfessed, sin. I don’t want things I’m not aware of lurking in the dark, perhaps waiting to explode at some unforeseen and unexpected future; but I also don’t want to have them revealed.

Why does God have to search my heart? Why can’t I just think on things and reconcile them myself? Because I don’t look at my heart the same way God looks at it. I can explain away everything that seems out of alignment with God’s Word because I can always find a way to justify what I’m doing, or the way I’m doing it.

God looks at me with the plumb line of Jesus Christ! Is my foundation built on Jesus? Are my walls securely tied to Him? Is my plumbing sufficiently removing the waste from my heart? Do my lights shine for His glory? Is fresh Living Water flowing through me? Will my windows open wide to allow for transparency and authenticity in my walk with Him?

Fortunately, God is not a stranger and His Holy Spirit doesn’t search us to condemn us. The Holy Spirit searches our hearts to intercede for us according to the will of God.

“And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.” – Romans 8:27 NIV

And, He searches our hearts to reveal the things we need to confess and remove from our lives so that we can live as God would have us live.

“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us.” – 1 John 1:9-10 NIV

“You have searched me, Lord, and you know me …you perceive my thoughts from afar …you are familiar with all my ways.” – Psalm 139:1-3 NIV

Have you asked God to inspect your spiritual house recently? What one thing is He asking you to remove, repair, or confess to Him so that you are brought into alignment with Him today?