I’ve done a bit of redecorating. Actually, I just moved one object, but what an object it is. I’ve had my husband’s grandfather’s ladder in my family room with quilts over it since we moved into this house. I love the look and it’s always been an eye appealing corner.

However, there are splinters the size of embroidery needles attached to this ladder. With grandkids galore, I now felt the necessity to move this ladder for their safety. My dilemma was where to move it.

After much deliberation, my decision was to place it on top of the hutch in the living room. It would accompany an old window frame and the pair would bring life to an otherwise bland looking wall.

You see, my living room walls are 17 feet high. They are the original color of the entire house…slightly off white…and something I’ve wanted to change from the beginning. But they are 17 foot high ceilings. It would take scaffolding to do the job and that’s just something we’ve opted to neglect.

So my goal has been to move my décor up in this large open space. But this was by far my biggest challenge. Remember the ladder has large splinters. The weight of the quilts make the ladder very awkward to move. The hutch stands 6 foot high.

Our biggest fear was that the ladder would come tumbling down off the top of the hutch. We had to secure the ladder to keep that from happening.

After much deliberation, a piece of board was screwed into the top of the hutch to rest the bottom of the ladder on. It should, no it will hold the ladder in place. Short of an earthquake (which is not completely out of the question here in Colorado), the ladder has found its new home.

This may seem like an extreme idea. An idea that might have seemed impossible to some. There were moments I had my doubts, but in the end, I knew it was the perfect location for this piece of family history.

I’m not the only one with extreme ideas. God had a few of His own and His Son, Jesus brought some of those extreme ideas to life.

While in the Old Testament God presented commandments to His people, Jesus presented a new covenant in the New Testament, and Jesus took this covenant to a new level.

Jesus said that even if you felt hatred or anger toward another, you were committing murder (Matthew 5:21-22).

Jesus spoke of the thought of another was adultery (Matthew 5:27-30).

Jesus taught in Matthew 6:21 (NIV) about our hearts and treasure. “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

Jesus preached that it was the state of their hearts that was sinful. In Mark 7:20-23 (NIV), we read these words of Jesus. “What comes out of a man is what makes him unclean. For from within, out of men’s hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man unclean.”

I don’t know what you’re thinking, but I believe this pretty much clears it up for us. According to Jesus, it isn’t just our actions that are sinful, our thoughts and what we harbor in our hearts can be sinful as well.

Perhaps this is why Jesus tells us the state of His heart in Matthew 11:29 (NIV). “Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”

As we allow our hearts to be more like Christ’s heart, our words and our actions, as well as our motives are shifted dramatically. Our sinful hearts no longer have dominion. The gentle and humble heart of Christ is reflected through us.

Paul encouraged the Colossian Church with his words in Colossians 3:1 (NIV). “Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.”

As we set our hearts on heaven and God’s kingdom, our love for God and others is more visible. 1 Timothy 1:5 (NIV) says, “The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.” All of our actions must be accompanied by love.

And as we set our hearts on things above, we also find strength. “May he strengthen your hearts so that you will be blameless and holy in the presence of our God and Father when our Lord Jesus comes with all his holy ones.” (1 Thessalonians 3:13 – NIV)

And we find encouragement. “May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.” (2 Thessalonians 2:17 – NIV)

And we find direction. “May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance.” (2 Thessalonians 3:5 – NIV)

It is a heart thing. But we are not on this journey of transforming our hearts on our own. Jesus is with us through the entire transformation. And what a dramatic change. Not just one that we see, but one that the world sees as well. For if we do not share this transformation with others, it is useless (James 2:14).

I am excited that as I sit at my desk, I can see the new home of my ladder bearing the weight of its quilts. It is a new focal point and one where my eyes will be drawn frequently.

I am also excited that the eyes of my heart have a focal point. It is Jesus and the hope and glorious inheritance I have found in Him.

“I pray also that they eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe.” (Ephesians 1:18-19 – NIV)

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna