The Perfect House

Chocolate in the dishwasher?

My daughter and son-in-law are wanting to move and are looking for the perfect house! They found it . The real estate photos supported the verbal description.

The house was on a quiet street... it had been redone according to executive home standards... lots of wood trim, moldings, new kitchen cupboards, heated tile and wood floors... a indoor pool (with wave pool option) surrounded by glass .... a spa... an exercise room, a hot tub, ensuite jacuzzi tub, a mini Butchart's garden back yard, fenced lot backing onto a two acre park ... on and on the list of extras went.

And the price ? amazingly affordable.

Hopeful but with a hint of suspicion clouding their expectations, my kids drove out to see the place.

Ohh yes... it was all that the ad had proclaimed it to be !

But... the problem ? Location.... It was in a rundown neighbourhood with uncared for homes ... broken furniture and junk littered the adjoining yards. The two acre 'park' had two public accesses making it a perfect hang out for teens wanting to party.

My kids said .. "If only we could pick the whole place up and move it to a more desirable location!" The house was perfect but no one wanted it because its value was ruined by what touched it on either side. The fact that the house and property was beautiful with great value in itself did not improve or change the fact that the neighbourhood was undesirable.

I was reminded of a passage in Haggai 2:12-14.

In this passage Haggai is instructing the priests regarding the holy and the unholy.

He poses the question ... "If someone is carrying something holy and it inadvertently brushes against something unholy ... will the holy make what it touches holy?"

The answer is no, something unclean cannot be made holy by touching something holy.

Haggai then asks the question the other way ... "If someone is unclean and he touches something that is holy will the holy thing be then unclean?" and the answer is yes... it will be unclean.

I thought about how the buzz word today in real estate is "location, location, location!"

This can also be applied in a spiritual sense. A Christian in the wrong 'location' can ruin his reputation and testimony. Caught in a compromising or sinful situation will draw attention to the Christian but those watching will not be made 'holy'.

I Peter 4:14,15 speaks of the 'location' of suffering believers. If we suffer the consequences of our sin, because we were caught as a "murderer, a thief, evildoer, or busybody" , we are not in a 'location' where we will bring glory to God.

But.. if we suffer because of our faith and Christ-like words and actions ...then we will shine in our 'location' and bring glory to God.

Have you thought of your 'Kingdom market value' ... in terms of your location ?