Progress Often Looks Like Chaos
by Chuck Ammons
I stood inside the open doorway of our home horrified. The needs of our growing family of seven had forced a decision. Move or remodel. So, with the help of a contractor friend, we drew up a dream renovation and dove in. Now the very spot where my wife and I pictured raising our kids looked unrecognizable.
Walls were moved, the kitchen was gutted, and an entire wing of the house was off-limits to prepare for a new master suite. We had hired a nationally recognized flooring company expecting quick, quality work. My wife and kids moved to my mom’s home until the house was livable again, as I stayed to oversee the project. That had been weeks ago, and our dream was quickly turning into a nightmare.
The flooring crew arrived late on their first day and then left early. They chipped up old tiles, leaving piles scattered across rooms like life-sized ant colonies. They continued this unorthodox routine until I arrived home from a long day of work to find they’d laid one-third of our flooring…except. They had laid every tile unevenly. Every. Single. One. The wood grain planks, meant to create a seamless appearance, looked like a drunken staircase of jagged edges. I stood in disbelief.
For a moment, I considered hiding the floor with area rugs. But this was our foundation. If it were ever to be a home worthy for my kids to grow up in, we needed to tear it up and start over.
Your Foundation Matters
When it comes to our relationship with God, building upon the right foundation is everything. The apostle Paul wrote, “By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care” (1 Corinthians 3:10 NIV). Our view of God as Father is the foundation on which we are building our lives. And that foundation was largely shaped by the physical and spiritual house we grew up in.
When it comes to our relationship with God, building upon the right foundation is everything.
There are things we believe about God that are beautiful and true. They shine through how we live and love. But there are also places where our image of God needs renovation to bring healing and make space for where He wants to lead us.
This may challenge long-held beliefs or unspoken fears, like saying, “God is good,” while living like an orphan. Or wrestling with questions about God’s love and the Bible.
If God really loves me, why does He seem so silent?
How can I trust God when He allowed (fill-in-the-blank) to happen?
A Clearer Vision
Maybe we’ve pushed the pain of our questions away or tried to drown it with distraction. Such busyness is nothing more than area rugs trying to conceal a faulty foundation. Meanwhile, God invites all of us to trade our fractured images of Him for a clearer vision that transforms and fills us with hope.
God invites all of us to trade our fractured images of Him for a clearer vision that transforms and fills us with hope.
Understand, in doing this, we aren’t actually reconstructing God. He is perfect and He never changes. Instead, we’re invited to renovate the lens through which we have come to see Him. The truth is, you and I don’t yet see God fully as He is. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known” (1 Corinthians 13:12).
We each carry within us some beautiful hallways of truth that fill us with joy. And we have some closets of fear and unbelief that steal our peace. Why? Because salvation is instantaneous, but discipleship is the continual renovation of our souls, catching up with the reality that already took place in our spirits.
Jesus Welcomes Questions
If we know Jesus, He’s already fully redeemed us, and we are now on a journey of learning and unlearning with Him by our side. Jesus welcomes our questions, reminding us we aren’t called to have faith in our faith, but faith in the Faithful One.
As we begin to ask honest questions, it may feel like the floor is falling out from under us at times. It’s okay. It feels scary because it matters to us so deeply. But it also might be a sign that we’ve been trying to hold things together on our own for too long. As we invite God to reveal who He truly is, with courageous honesty and without fear, He will show us He’s been here all along and that our whole world is being held steady by His hands (Colossians 1:17). He’s holding us. Let’s not rush putting our house back together again. Let’s just stay honest before Him in the sawdust. Jesus is our destination. We’ve already arrived and He’s already pleased.
You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord (Jeremiah 29:13–14a).
This is our Father’s heart. He longs to be found by us, so we can run together in new fields of grace.
May our Father move the very foundation of our being to a spacious residence alongside the Father called Mercy. The Father called Love. The Father who looks just like Jesus. May He heal old wounds, remove old carpet on the floors we’ve walked on for so long, and replace the tired artwork on our hearts’ walls.
If you’re ready to trade the area rugs for a new foundation, come walk through the house with me. That’s the journey of Reconstructing Dad: Discovering the Father who has Always Looked Just Like Jesus.
About Chuck
Chuck Ammons is a father, husband, pastor, author, songwriter, and friend whose greatest passion is helping people encounter the goodness of God as Father and discover the greatness of their unique voice in His kingdom. Chuck is the proud dad of five incredible kids, a foster dad who has had the joy of partnering with Jesus in the restoration of broken families, and a spiritual father to sons and daughters across the globe. He has been married to his high school sweetheart, Jill, since 2002. He currently serves as Lead Pastor at Overflow Church, while also being a passionate advocate for unity among the churches of the Tampa Bay area. Chuck is the author of eight books, with several more on the way. His newest is Reconstructing Dad (CrossRiver Media).
More at chuckammons.com.
Order Reconstructing Dad – HERE.