Your Story Building Project (Part 1)

Not only is the church God's story building project, you individually are also. The apostle Paul puts it this way:

1 Corinthians 6:19-20. Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. NIV

You as an individual person are the temple or dwelling place of God. Through the Holy Spirit, He lives inside of you. You are his home - his house. Often at church services, we hear people say, “Isn’t it good to be in God’s presence today!” Well, you are actually in God's presence every day. We don’t lack God’s presence, we just lack awareness of God's presence. He is Immanuel - “God with us”.

Just as the church is going through a period of renovation, so you (and me!) are under renovation. God is working on us. We could call it “the renovation of the heart.” Yes, God loves us just the way we are but he loves us too much to leave us the way we are.

How Can We Best Co-Operate With God's Work of Renovation?

Firstly, let go of the past.

We don't want to live in the past but if the past is affecting us today, then it needs our attention. Things such as hurts, disappointments, bitterness, and regret take up energy and taint our spirits, affecting our lives today. Like dredging a dam of rubbish and old debris, we need to keep our soul clear of what could contaminate our spirit. How is your soul? What’s underneath the surface that may be influencing you today? Consider your external and your internal story. Maybe it would be helpful to see a prayer team, a counsellor, or take a personal silent retreat (stillness settles the waters, creates separation and brings clarity). Yesterday is gone. Let it go - the good and the bad. It can trap you from fully embracing all that today is bringing to you.

Even good things have to be let go of at times. Nicole and I are entering a brand new chapter of life with lots of possibilities and opportunities but we have had to let go of a lot to enable this to happen. There has been loss and grief. It's the principle of 'displacement' - if your plate is full you do not have room for any new things but if you remove some things from your plate, you make way for new opportunities.

Is it time to create a 'not to do' list? We tend to add but rarely eliminate things from our life, resulting in us becoming over-burdened with cluttered schedules and tired souls. Are there some commitments, some friendships, or some involvements that you need to let go of at this time?

More tomorrow ...