A few years ago, my wife and I took on a home remodeling project. To make our basement waterproof, we had to go through an elaborate process of tearing out some of the concrete from the basement floor, burying new drain tile under the floor, and pouring new cement. Our house was a complete mess. I knew that the remodeling process would make a mess in the basement, but I hadn't considered how much dust and grime would infiltrate the main living area of the house.

While living in the middle of that mess, I couldn't help wondering whether the project was worthwhile. While our spoons were covered with cement dust and the sound of jackhammers drowned out any possibility of conversation in the house, it was almost impossible to imagine what the house would look like. In order to endure the process, I had to continually remind myself that once the project was finished, our house would be a better place to live.

This month we will consider the way God makes our lives new. Philippians 1 reminds us that like a house undergoing a remodeling project, our lives are works in progress. God has a plan to make us new, but sometimes the process of remodeling our lives can seem rather messy. God promises that the project will be worthwhile.