Hunter Christner

There’s a lot that goes into the process of closing on a house. There are papers, signatures, deadlines, inspections, appraisals, etc. At the center of it all is ownership. At closing, the title of the house is transferred. What once belonged to someone else is now placed into new hands. I will be closing a house for the first time real soon and it has had me thinking: What does it look like for ownership to change, not just on paper, but in life? Not just for a house, but for the heart?

The house I’m buying is not move-in ready. The domestic plumbing and the boiler has to be replaced. The basement flooded and has been torn apart. There’s real work ahead, and it’s a little overwhelming. This isn’t a one-day project. It’s going to take weeks to make it livable, and longer to make it what I want it to be. I can see glimpses of what it could become. With the right work, care, and attention, it can be a place that’s beautiful, useful, and a real blessing to me and others.

Most of us like the idea of new things or restoration, but we don’t love the process that comes with them. Especially when it means dealing with the “messy” parts. The things we’d rather ignore. The areas of our lives that feel broken, neglected, or out of control. The burden of maintenance and repairs or renewal falls on the owner. Following Jesus involves a transfer of ownership.

Recently, I read "My Heart Christ’s Home" by Robert Boyd Munger. He describes the Christian life as inviting Jesus into the different “rooms” of your heart. At first, everything seems manageable. But then Jesus starts opening doors and pointing out what doesn’t belong, what needs to change, what needs to go. It’s sort of uncomfortable. It’s one thing to invite Jesus into the clean, presentable parts of your life; It’s another thing entirely to hand him the keys to every single part, including the junk drawer. Yet, that’s exactly where he wants to work.

Jesus isn’t surprised by the mess. He already sees it and he doesn’t shy away from it. He steps into it. The gospel tells us that Jesus lived the perfect life we couldn’t live and died in our place so that our sin could be forgiven. When we come to him honestly, he meets us with mercy and grace, not rejection.

Revelation 3:20 says, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock.” That’s not the voice of someone trying to take over by force, that’s the voice of someone offering relationship. He invites us to let him take his rightful place. When we do, he begins a process, not of overnight perfection, but real transformation over time. Just like this house won’t be fixed in a day, God doesn’t expect us to have everything figured out instantly. As we surrender more of our lives to him, he patiently works, repairing what’s broken, replacing what doesn’t belong, strengthening what is weak.

When we are honest with God about our shortcomings, our sin, our selfishness, and the areas we’ve kept to ourselves, he meets us with mercy, not rejection. Jesus lived the life we couldn’t live and died in our place so that our sin could be forgiven. Through faith in him, we are given new life and a new identity.

He doesn’t leave us to do it alone. Scripture reminds us, “... that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6). There will be moments when it feels overwhelming. Moments when the work seems too big. But God sees the finished picture. He knows what he’s building.

As I step into this new responsibility of homeownership, I’m being reminded of a deeper truth: Jesus must be the sole owner of every area of my life? Not just the surface-level parts, but the places that need real work. Jesus doesn’t just want a place in your life, He wants to make your heart his home. ("My Heart Christ’s Home" is a quick read and is available in pdf form for free online. Check it out for yourself.)

(Hunter Christner is associate staff at Campus Ventures in Powell.)