One day, Donny walked into the house lugging a jackhammer.
“What are you doing with that thing?” I asked, suspiciously.
“I have to fix the foundation of our house if we want to have a bathroom in the basement.”
“What?! You’re going to jackhammer the foundation? Have you ever done anything like this before?”
“No, but I read how to do it in a book.”
I wasn’t sure if I should be excited that we were going to save a ton of money or scared the house would collapse.
When we bought the house, the foundation looked fine. But as we started finishing the basement, we discovered hidden damage beneath the surface.
The human heart is a lot like our house foundation. On the outside, everything looks fine. We say what we think people want to hear. We do what’s expected of us. But if you look beneath the surface, our outward life doesn’t always match what’s happening deep in our soul.
What took me years to discover is: real transformation of the soul doesn’t happen until we fall in love with Truth—not just an idea, but a Person. That Person is Jesus. And the renovation of our wounded hearts begins the moment we give Him permission to take a jackhammer to the faulty foundation we’ve built our lives on.
The Thessalonian believers were wrestling with cracks in their spiritual foundation due to false teachers. Paul wrote to correct their theology and calm their fears. They were taught Christ’s return had already happened. Panic set in. Had they missed it? Were they now stuck on earth with no hope?
Paul warned them not to let false teachers continue to deceive them: “They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved” (2 Thessalonians 2:10 ESV). Paul’s solution to their cracked foundation? Fall in love with the Truth. Let Him consume their fear with His perfect love.
The Greek word for “saved” in this verse is sōzō, a word rich with meaning. We often hear it used in the context of salvation from hell, but sōzō carries much more. At its core, sōzō means to rescue, deliver, heal, and make whole. It points to a complete restoration of the heart, mind, and body.
Just as a house with a cracked foundation can’t stand strong or serve its purpose, our souls need repair to live in freedom.
Renovating our basement meant more than painting walls, installing stylish fixtures, or buying new furniture. Before we could enjoy the fun part of the job, we had to fix a problem we didn’t cause…a mistake left behind by someone else. We had to tear up their damage and rebuild a solid foundation.
Paul describes a similar process in Romans 12:2: “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (ESV). The Greek word translated “renewal” here is anakainōsis, which means a total renovation or makeover.
In other words, Truth desires to change the way we think about ourselves, others, and God. Throughout His time on earth, Jesus consistently challenged people’s misconceptions about God’s character. He invited them into a new way of seeing the Father. For those who were willing to partner with Him, He reshaped the way they thought, believed, and lived.
When God first began reconstructing my heart, the process felt uncomfortable, vulnerable, and even painful. There were moments I wanted to yell, “Stop! Do You even know what You’re doing, God?”
One of the most transformative verses in Scripture for me has been: “You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Jesus wasn’t talking about simply gathering facts about who He was or what He was like. He was offering a life-changing invitation.
In the beginning of my relationship with Him, I thought knowing the truth meant learning everything I could—reading books, doing Bible studies, and memorizing Scripture. (All noble ways to learn, by the way.)
But the word know in this verse isn’t about my GPA in biblical studies. It’s about experiential knowledge of Truth in my daily life. The kind of relationship built on intimacy, not just information.
Maybe you’re like me—afraid of what might surface in your pursuit of wholeness. You long for healing but fear what might be uncovered once the renovation begins. Experiencing Truth felt risky to me because I had spent years believing the lie I just had to survive the past by burying the pain and moving on. Never considering it as a faulty foundation.
I could have resisted Donny fixing the foundation of our house, but I’m grateful I didn’t. The space he created has brought years of enjoyment to our family and friends.
Similarly, I could have said no to Jesus’ invitation to renovate my heart. I’m grateful I chose to trust Him. Although He’s constantly jackhammering away the lies and wounds of my past, the renovation has felt tender and merciful. Because of these encounters, falling in love with Truth has become a way of life for me.
The invitation is open to you too: Are you ready to fall in love with Truth and let Him renovate your wounded heart?
Prayer of Invitation: Jesus, I welcome You to come and renovate my heart. Take Your gentle jackhammer and tear up any faulty foundation laid by the painful experiences of my past. Please remove any deceptions I have believed and reshape my image of Father God.
This week, journal through these questions:
- How do you see Truth. Is it just information, or a Person inviting you closer?
- Are there places where you know the Truth but haven’t yet fallen in love with Him?
- What would it look like to invite Jesus to heal the cracked places in your foundation?
