The house across the street sold recently, and the new owner has spent evenings and a couple of Saturdays moving stuff in, pitching other stuff to the curb, and redoing the landscaping. I expect he’s painting and reworking some of the insides as well. That’s only right. He bought the house. It’s his to inhabit, rearrange, and redecorate however he chooses. It’s the right of ownership.
Now imagine if the previous owner showed up and started moving stuff back in, or started repainting the kitchen to match what it had been. “I know it’s your house now, but I like it better this way.” That’s crazy, isn’t it? Now consider this…
Paul says “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
We are not our own. We are bought with a price. And the new owner has some definite ideas about how He wants things arranged in us. The Holy Spirit is constantly at work reshaping, remaking us so that we are more and more like Christ.
It’s our job not to be like a crazy previous owner who tries to move our junk back in, or fights to restore everything to the way it was before He bought us. Trust the new owner. He knows what He’s doing.
Lauren says
This was such a clever post! I love the comparison between the house and our body. I don’t think this one will leave my memory very soon, because it was so straightforward. I think I don’t move back in to rearrange things, though. I think I stop God as He’s putting boxes down and say, “Oh, no no no no no. You can’t do that. Mm-mm. Not here.” So hopefully this will help me learn to just let go and let Him do as He needs to. Great post!