And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:22
We live in an established neighborhood. That’s a nice way of saying that the homes are older. And in every established neighborhood, especially in Florida, there is always one thing that’s going on. Like the rising of the sun, you can’t stop it. It’s dependable as the day is long.
A roof is being replaced somewhere in the neighborhood. You know this from the whirling sound from the air compressor and the riffle-like sound of the nail guns. It seems like they always start before “normal” people wake up.
You don’t just install a new roof like downloading a software update. It takes time. It takes effort. And it takes a team. You need a crew that works together, knows their role and how to help the other workers. The guys on the ground are just as important as the guys on the roof. Everybody has their part. They not only have to do their job but they have to help the person next to them.
Like installing a roof, we need a team to be who God made us to be. Who he individually made us to be. Who he made us to be together as a body. We need each other. We need to build-up one another to become his grownup children, and to become his dwelling.
In him, we are right now being built together. This building up doesn’t happen any other place then in Jesus. This building up doesn’t happen any other way then in him.
I’m sorry. I apologize. Yes, there are many things that can help you in this life. Proper eating, sleeping, exercise, breathing, posture. They will contribute to your health and wellbeing.
But when it comes to our eternal destiny, to our relationship with God and his people, they just don’t make it. They all fall woefully short. They run out of gas.
Our two-part job is not complicated.
First – Grow in Christ. We are to become the person God wants us to be. To individually stand in Christ. But not just to stand, but to stand strong and sturdy. My job is to invest in and be build up so I can stand. Your job is to invest in and build yourself up so you can stand.
Second – Support in Christ. We are to support and build each other up to become the body of people that God wants us to be. Not as individuals, but as a body, as an organized, focused, and energized global church of Jesus Christ.
And together we are being built into a dwelling, a house where God is. Where he can be seen. Where he can be heard. Where he can be lived with. Where he can be worshiped.
Funny thing about a house, it’s the place where a family lives. Where they share life, do things for one another. It’s where they leave from and return to every day. It’s where they eat, sleep, hang out, talk.
We only think about a house as a place to live, not a place of worship. And yet this is the image that God gives us. Our relationship with him and one another is more like a house than anything else. It’s not like a special building where we go to be with God and his people. It’s like a house where we live and go back to again and again.
This dwelling, this house, is where God lives by his Spirit. His Spirit isn’t a thing, he’s a person. His Spirit isn’t some indescribable, unknowable whisp of smoke that’s hear today and gone tomorrow. His Spirit lives in this house where we have the unbelievable privilege of knowing him. Living life with him each and every day.
That’s where God wants us to be; with him. With each other. And part of that being with him and each other is supporting with and being supported by one another. Supported by God, supported by his people.
Part of being supported means that you have to be near those supporting you. You can’t be supported while you’re all alone, staying away from others. We have to choose to be near.
The other part of being supported means that you have to want it. You have to receive it. God’s not in the business of jamming himself down your throat, just to spite you. No, he’s a God who comes by invitation. He waits till we open the door.
And the same is true when it comes to being supported by his people. We have to want them to come close. We have to be ready to receive them and their encouragement. Receiving them and their help.
That might just sound like what you’re looking for. What you need. So, take that step. Reach our and receive from Jesus. Reach out and receive from Jesus’ people.
Noodling Questions
How can you be more actively growing in Christ on a daily basis?
In what areas do you need the greatest support in Christ?
How can you effectively support others in Christ?
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