Parallels: Home and Spiritual Renovation: HVAC—Air Exchangers, Filters, and Thermostats
(This is part of a series on what I learned through the process of renovating our home and the parallels to a a life yielded to and experiencing God’s work in renewing our life and spirit)
As we continued work on our basement finishing, we hired an HVAC specialist to install the duct work and various vents. In case you’re wondering , HVAC is an acronym for Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning. Our technician, Joe, performed measurements and calculations to determine the best placement of the and vents and air returns for each room. He also determined that our existing furnace and air conditioner were more than able to handle the additional needs of the downstairs rooms.
There are many important components to a heating system. I’ll focus on three of them: The Air Exchanger, the Air Filter, and the Thermostat.
The Air Exchanger
One vital piece of the HVAC system is the air exchanger. This unit ensures that fresh outside air will be flowing into the system, replacing stale or potentially dangerous air—without affecting the temperature of the house. In Minnesota this is especially important in the winter when windows and outside doors are closed— severe illnesses and even deaths can occur when dangerous fumes are trapped inside.
As humans we also need fresh spiritual air entering our soul to flush out and replace unhealthy thoughts, attitudes, and actions. One daily practice I use and encourage is to come clean with God regarding any thought, word, or action I’ve had that goes against Him or people. When we confess and renounce our shortcomings, failures, and sins to God, He promises to forgive us and infuse us with His grace and love. It is like breathing in the air of heaven, fresh and new every day, cleansing and refreshing us with God’s love.
The Air Filter
This is the replaceable item located in the furnace that captures dust and other contaminants. If it gets clogged not only will the air become unclean, but the fan that creates the air flow throughout the house can burn out. During construction I checked and replaced our filter every week. Now that our work is done, I regularly replace our filter once a month. It’s an easy job that too many people forget to do, with the result being dirty air and an underperforming HVAC system.
We also need a filter. Millions of messages are put in front of us every day—on our mobile devices, computers, televisions, streaming services, and more. It saddens me to say that many—too many— of the messages we take in are false, misleading, uninformed, and even harmful. I have told my children many times through the years to “keep your filter on” when watching a video, listening to music, talking to friends, reading a book, or even going to hear a speaker. It is a life skill that keeps us on a spiritually healthy track. .
Christ followers are told to “put on the helmet of salvation”—in other words, guard your eyes, hearing, and mind with God’s filter—which is Jesus’ presence within us. He is the One who empowers us to see the Truth and turn away from anything or anyone that is opposed to God and His perfect way for us. Without Him, we are powerless to stand against the forces and messages that come against me. With Christ we will prevail against destructive messages and also become like shining lights in a dark world.
The Thermostat
Another component of the HVAC system is the thermostat: It directs the heating and cooling system to perform correctly through the various seasons of the year. Many of us have had to endure a failed air conditioner in the heat of summer, or a bad furnace in the winter—it can be brutal and even life-threatening. Because of its function, thermostats need to be set and controlled by the owner of the house.
Our consciences are a kind of “thermostat” —directing us to make healthy spiritual and moral choices. We wouldn’t want a house thermostat to do its own thing, such as cooling on the coldest day of winter, heating on the hottest day of summer, or simply failing to operate. In the same way, left only to our own thoughts or plans, we could set the course of our life into unhealthy or dangerous directions.
We need the Divine Creator and ultimate Owner of our being—God—to control the settings of our life. Through intentional and growing intimacy with God, we can give Him control of our priorities, thoughts, and actions. This requires trusting God, and then turning over the control of the trajectory of our life to Him. There is an infinite number of reasons to do this. Here are just a few to ponder:
1) God loves you more than anyone could ever imagine. The Bible puts it this way:
“…no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human mind has conceived the things God has prepared for those who love him…” (1 Corinthians 2:9).
2) God has plans for your good! He can and will make all things work together for your good, even when you don’t see it right away. The Bible states:
“…we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…” (Romans 8:28)
3) He will carry you in, through, above, and beyond the various seasons of life. God will never leave or abandon us.
4) Beyond this life God has a forever place for you in a fantastic, unimaginable eternity free from pain, disappointments, tears, and death.
When we give God control of our life He actually brings us to a place where, over time, we become the unique person we were created to be. I hope and pray this becomes the increasing reality of your life.
God bless you!
Chris Atkins