…just as Christ was raised from the dead by
the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4c
the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:4c
I love to move furniture. For many years I moved my family room furniture to a new position at least once a month. I’ve been known to, while visiting friends, give ideas for a new arrangement for their own furniture! Suffice it to say, I don’t mind change. When it’s suggested that perhaps a new arrangement isn’t favorable, my reply is what my interior design business partner and I gave years ago, “live with it for three weeks and if you still don’t like it, we’ll move it back.” Usually, the “new” arrangement stayed the same—adjustments were made and they found that the “new” view wasn’t so bad after all.
Change, for change sake, isn’t good. But if change brings revitalization and a new life is experienced, think what we would have missed in our insistence to keep things status quo.
Jesus brought change to a religious structure whose furniture hadn’t been “moved around” for centuries. Waiting for the Messiah had become part of the furniture arrangement. When Jesus comes and sets about not just rearranging things but suggesting that there is a totally new way to live. . .well, the old order put up with him for three years and thought they found a way of getting everything back in order. History, of course, proves differently.
The challenge that we as Jesus followers are now facing is similar. We’ve become comfortable in our furniture arrangement--the way we “do” church, how we “live” in a pagan culture and how we “practice” our faith.
The call of Jesus remains fresh and new 2,000 years later. It isn’t a call to pack furniture into rooms called finance committee, missions committee, outreach committee, etc. It isn’t a call to build a bigger and better sanctuary. It isn’t a call to do our worship exactly the way we’ve done it for years. His fresh and new call remains along these lines, “Stop rearranging furniture! Get rid of it! Follow Me, live in Me, be in Me and we’ll change the world.”
Change, for change sake, isn’t good. But if change brings revitalization and a new life is experienced, think what we would have missed in our insistence to keep things status quo.
Jesus brought change to a religious structure whose furniture hadn’t been “moved around” for centuries. Waiting for the Messiah had become part of the furniture arrangement. When Jesus comes and sets about not just rearranging things but suggesting that there is a totally new way to live. . .well, the old order put up with him for three years and thought they found a way of getting everything back in order. History, of course, proves differently.
The challenge that we as Jesus followers are now facing is similar. We’ve become comfortable in our furniture arrangement--the way we “do” church, how we “live” in a pagan culture and how we “practice” our faith.
The call of Jesus remains fresh and new 2,000 years later. It isn’t a call to pack furniture into rooms called finance committee, missions committee, outreach committee, etc. It isn’t a call to build a bigger and better sanctuary. It isn’t a call to do our worship exactly the way we’ve done it for years. His fresh and new call remains along these lines, “Stop rearranging furniture! Get rid of it! Follow Me, live in Me, be in Me and we’ll change the world.”
Jesus! Help me to live a life free of just being comfortable
wanting the “way it used to be.”
I want to live your new life in this new age!
Amen.
wanting the “way it used to be.”
I want to live your new life in this new age!
Amen.
1 comment:
What memories you bring to mind today! Also, what a wonderful thought of how I can approach the changes the Lord is challenging me with in my life. If I "try it for three weeks" I will most likely find that the Lord is trustworthy and knows what works best.
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