Greg's Fishing Hole

I recently moved into a new house. Before moving to Brownsville, we had some big garage sales and “purged” our belongings. After eight months in a rental, we still had a garage-full of stuff, untouched. After painting the new house, we moved the big things in room by room, and inevitably we got around to the garage. Upon a quick sorting and an occasional “oh I’ve been looking for that” we were ready for yet another garage sale. Immediately following this, the remaining of the “keep” pile went to the new house’s storage building.

I share this story because I have been thinking about how our life is a house. When we embrace Christ our life starts anew, and the promised Holy Spirit takes residence in us, indwelling our “house” so to speak. Guest of honor is hardly a good term. For when God takes a hold of a life, he is either Lord of all or not Lord at all. My first question as I think through the spiritual concept of life as a house is, “Who has the master bedroom?.” So often the Christian, though not by words, but by deeds, has given the Spirit the guest bedroom, or the closet, or the basement (God forbid!). He should be in charge, He should dictate. He’s smarter! I mean He holds the mysteries of the universe in the palm of His hands. And yet we want take the driver’s seat? “I’ll put the couch here, and you go sit here, I’ll entertain you every now and then-- It’ll be real cozy for you here.” God doesn’t need our entertaining. He’s also not looking for cozy. Though the Spirit is called “comforter” He sometimes wants to take us out of our comfort zone and into a higher calling. However, we are too interested in what interests us and not in what interests God. So as we arrange the contents of a real house around what’s important to us, why not arrange our spiritual house around what’s most important—and that’s God?

As the applications of these thoughts set in, let’s move to a second question. If we’ve mistaken who’s in charge of this spiritual house, how do we get back on track organizing the contents in order of importance? One way that comes to mind is looking at lifestyle. Is it evident that God lives there, or He just getting mail delivered there? We get the real answers to these questions in Church. But it’s easy to go through the motions and toss those valuable principles away as if they are junk mail.

If the wear and tear on this house by neglect is becoming evident, it needs a makeover. And while we’ve thrown some of our God-given talents on the shelf or in storage, we need to resurrect those dry bones and give life to the house making it a beacon in the neighborhood.
There is a similar analogy in 1 Cor. 6:19, “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” While Paul is talking here about abuses of the body, the point I want to make is more mental and less fleshy. It’s more of Jesus’ words speaking of the vine and branches in John 15:5, “If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” As we build and add onto this spiritual house, we must always consult the owner of the house first. The Spirit abides in us, and is not like in the cartoons on one shoulder while the devil is on the other. He speaks in a still small voice. But we can’t hear Him if we don’t want to, or if the TV’s on too loud!

posted by Gregory Fish @ 6:26 PM