Never Stop Improving

“Never Stop Improving”. This was Lowe’s marketing slogan from 2011 – 2019. This was so ubiquitous that many of you may think it’s still their slogan. I know I did until I heard their new slogan recently. This is not an advertisement for Lowe’s so I’ll spare you from hearing their current slogan from me!

During the years that Lowe’s used that slogan, we lived in 3 different homes. it became the unofficial description of what Lainey and I did in every home we owned. Every time we moved into a new home, (13 times in the 54 years of our marriage) within months we would survey the entire house, one room at a time and think “we could make this better.” Projects large and small evolved as we pictured the changes we could make. From small projects like painting walls to full blown renovations, we “never stopped improving.”

Early in our “improving” we hung wallpaper. That is not a good memory, we had to learn how to work together in the early days of our marriage! Some of you know what I mean! We replaced floors, removed windows and replaced them with doors, built fireplaces in two houses, built walls in some homes and removed them in others. Always, one of the first things replaced were the toilets!

In one house we gutted the master bathroom and rebuilt it from the studs….for 6 months! The one constant was that every home was 10 minutes or less from a Lowes, even our current home in a small town in western North Carolina.

Every project, no matter how small involved at least 3 trips to the store, One to get the supplies and material, the second one to get the things we forgot the first time and a third trip to return the wrong parts and get new ones! And every project meant I got to buy at least one new tool. Now I have a lot of tools I seldom use anymore since our “improving” days are drawing to a close, due to our age and little left to do in our current home. We’ll probably find something more to do if we live here long enough. Or move!

“Never Stop Improving” doesn’t just apply to our homes or health. It’s the story of the Christian life as well. The Christian life is not a destination that’s reached at the moment of salvation but a lifelong journey of growth. We begin like children in our faith and progress toward maturity. Scripture repeatedly calls believers to “never stop improving”, pressing forward in maturity, transformed by the power of the gospel, leaving the old life behind, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Salvation brings radical change, at the moment of salvation and continually from that time forward. The Apostle Paul declares, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” 2 Corinthians 5:17. This is not at all self-improvement by our human effort, but divine regeneration. The old life, full of sin, self-centeredness, and spiritual death, is crucified with Christ.

Believers are called to “put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.” Ephesians 4:22-24. This transformation initiates a process of maturing in Christ. Staying as spiritual infants is never the goal.

The writer of Hebrews urges, “Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity.” Hebrews 6:1. Paul describes what this means: “Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own… I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:12-14.

Central to growth in the Christian life is increasing knowledge of God and His ways. In 2 Peter 3:18, Peter commands, “...grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”  This knowledge is not merely intellectual; Romans 12:2 instructs us “do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” Our minds are renewed and our character transformed as we put on the new self, “which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.” Colossians 3:10.

Like newborn infants, we are to “desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” 1 Peter 2:2. Applying this to our personal life begins with an honest look at where we are in our walk with our Savior. When we ask, the Holy Spirit will reveal the stubborn patterns of the old self, pride, anger, or dependence on our own strength. We can put them off through repentance and dependence on Christ if we commit to daily practices that promote growth; reading Scripture not just for information but for transformation, praying for a renewed mind, and creating accountability with more mature believers.

It’s inevitable, trials and temptations will come, but we can view them as opportunities to press on rather than reasons to quit. We measure our progress not by perfection which we will never obtain in this life, but by increasing love, patience, and knowledge of God. “Never stopping improving” in the Christian life means choosing every day to keep our eyes on Jesus and make the next move toward Christlikeness, trusting His power to complete the work He began. With the power of the Holy Spirit within us, we can grow from infancy to maturity in our Christian life.

If you have not experienced the transformation of salvation and the joy of growing in Christ, today is the day of salvation. Come to Jesus, find rest in Him and begin the journey from the darkness of spiritual death to the light of life in Jesus Christ, now and forever in eternity. Please see https://www.lukeandlainey.com/the-gospel for the Truth of the Gospel.