At home, I walk the dogs in the evening. Here in the Twin Cities taking care of my grandma, I like to get away for half an hour to an hour or so in the afternoon to take a walk. Today, I explored a part of town I hadn't yet seen, a residential area to the west of here.
It was a pleasant walk, with lots of trees for shade, and the scenery was different for me. Houses. (Not the wide-open fields of home.) The houses were gorgeous. Well, most of them.
Some of the houses were rather regal looking with columns, porches, and a landscaped lawn. There were also town houses with neatly mowed yards. A few houses looked like they were more addition than house, because they had been added on to so many times. Then there were a few houses that were very old and small, with a once-landscaped lawn overgrown with weeds. One house in particular stood out to me; for though it had recently been meticulously refurbished on the outside, a discerning eye could see the porch was uneven and the foundation was sinking.
I enjoyed looking at the houses... and, as any girl might, dreaming of what my house might look like some day. You know, after I grow up, get married, or something like that. :) How would I build it? What would it look like? What color would it be.... and so forth. That's when the Lord took my thinking a little deeper.
1 Corinthians 3:9 says that I am God's building. In the spiritual sense, my body is God's temple, or in American English, house. (3:16) What kind of house am I, right now, for God?
According to 1 Corinthians 3, as a Believer, my foundation is Christ. After that, I need to decide what I'm going to build. Will I build with temporary pleasures, popularity, and pride, (i.e. wood, hay, and stubble (3:12)) or will I work out my salvation with fear and trembling, serving others, sharing the gospel, and seeking the face of Jesus? Am I attempting to hide sin and ease-over issues that should be brought to the Light of God's Word? Am I loving the Lord with ALL my heart?
It may be a stretch, but I'm going to reference a parable of Jesus in Luke 14. Verse 28-30, Jesus uses the illustration of a builder who didn't count the cost and did not have enough supplies to finish building. Young people, friends, we only have ONE life. Serving God CANNOT wait until we are older, successful, and "big enough to make a difference." For then, we may find we are short time, energy, or health to finish the work God has for us. We must start now. Don't waste time on video games, music, facebook, or romance novels... wood, hay, and stubble all burns. Your house will burn to the ground, leaving a smell of smoke and smoldering ashes. A good, strong spiritual house must be built with everlasting material- things like honoring parents, helping the widows in the neighborhood, and teaching children about Jesus.
About now, if you're like me, you're beginning to panic. I can't do all that. How am I to know what to do? (Growing up can be a real pain sometimes.) Don't give up hope. God never calls us to something we can't do... and in fact, He gives us grace for what He calls us, His children, to do.
It was a pleasant walk, with lots of trees for shade, and the scenery was different for me. Houses. (Not the wide-open fields of home.) The houses were gorgeous. Well, most of them.
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| (school in Taiwan) |
I enjoyed looking at the houses... and, as any girl might, dreaming of what my house might look like some day. You know, after I grow up, get married, or something like that. :) How would I build it? What would it look like? What color would it be.... and so forth. That's when the Lord took my thinking a little deeper.
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| my sister- fixing the roof |
According to 1 Corinthians 3, as a Believer, my foundation is Christ. After that, I need to decide what I'm going to build. Will I build with temporary pleasures, popularity, and pride, (i.e. wood, hay, and stubble (3:12)) or will I work out my salvation with fear and trembling, serving others, sharing the gospel, and seeking the face of Jesus? Am I attempting to hide sin and ease-over issues that should be brought to the Light of God's Word? Am I loving the Lord with ALL my heart?
It may be a stretch, but I'm going to reference a parable of Jesus in Luke 14. Verse 28-30, Jesus uses the illustration of a builder who didn't count the cost and did not have enough supplies to finish building. Young people, friends, we only have ONE life. Serving God CANNOT wait until we are older, successful, and "big enough to make a difference." For then, we may find we are short time, energy, or health to finish the work God has for us. We must start now. Don't waste time on video games, music, facebook, or romance novels... wood, hay, and stubble all burns. Your house will burn to the ground, leaving a smell of smoke and smoldering ashes. A good, strong spiritual house must be built with everlasting material- things like honoring parents, helping the widows in the neighborhood, and teaching children about Jesus.
About now, if you're like me, you're beginning to panic. I can't do all that. How am I to know what to do? (Growing up can be a real pain sometimes.) Don't give up hope. God never calls us to something we can't do... and in fact, He gives us grace for what He calls us, His children, to do.
And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the Word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified. Acts 20:32
Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6
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| Our house in Montana |
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