That day I saw some tile...
I walked the familiar trails of a favorite park the other day and as the sun shone through the draped Spanish moss it cast a shadow contrasting who I had become. I reflected upon an area of my life that was not so glorious to God, and somehow felt compelled toward it. Traversing over some fairly warm bricklayings, I entered the visitor center and looked down at the cold sea foam tile and was given a hint of insight. "God has ordained all things to be beautiful; All lines and shapes, all skews and angles. God has made order to be pleasing. All things in disorder are detestable. Organize your life to be in order with all things."
This revelation came during a time of devotion about a week ago. Yet I had not truly given myself to the Lord's work to collaborate this message. Tonight it was brought to my attention that I had fallen off the path. I had allowed my homework to become my quiet time, and my ambition to become my relationship. I have recently felt cut off, weak, and vulnerable. Brought to my attention by a distant friend, I have somehow regained the initiative in my relationship with the Lord.
Looking back, I focused my gaze at the pattern of tile fitting together seamlessly, taking note to the symmetry that characterized the rest of the room. Lines, shapes, skews, and angles; All of which working together to create something visually and emotionally pleasing, but why? What is it about natural order that creates a sense of well being? Furthermore, Who instilled this emotional state of order within us? The only clear perspective for these questions is to assume it is of divine mechanics. God created us to be creatures of order.
Take into account that the Bible is simply a blueprint. A blueprint telling us where each piece of building material should go. So that when we are done our lives should be built according to the order of the blueprint... It is then easy to see how the second half of the observation comes to term. "All things in disorder are detestable."
If anyone has ever returned home to find their living quarters in disarray, they know exactly how detestable disorder is. Socks littering the floor, dishes piled to the faucet so that you cannot wash your hands, and dishevelled bedding; these are all basic examples of disorder amidst one's daily presence. However, not only is this visually detestable, but it takes a toll on our emotional well being as well. The chaos and disorder that we build into our midst is a reflection of our hearts, for it is when our hearts are in disarray, so then are our belongings. It is a vicious cycle of depression and complacency...
Lately my spiritual life has been characterized by this depression and complacency. I have been caught up in the memories of my old, dead, former self. As a result, I have forgotten how to bounce my eyes and I have allowed the poison of the world to seep into every pore. My mind began to wander toward the rationalization of sin; and debates with apostates have led to the questioning of my sound faith! I have allowed friendships to grow cold and I have become introverted. Left phsycially and emotionally exhausted, I have become a cold Christian... Surely my efforts meant well, but my pride disallowed me to consult Christ's orderly blueprint, thus bringing forth all forms of disorder. After all, I am a man who never reads the directions, I just dump all the pieces on the floor and look at the picture to assemble the project! (Seldom does this approach ever bear fruit however...)
So when we ignore the blueprint sent forth from God we find our lives detestable. Which alludes to the final sentence of realization, "Organize your life to be in order with all things." This was spoken in form of a command. Later that day I came home and tore my apartment to pieces. It was clean and tidy along the main thoroughfares but in the closets and under the bed it was a disaster! It was a reflection of my heart, everything looked Okay on the outside, but where no one could see everything was in shambles.
To organize my life with all things, however, is to assume harmony with all that surrounds me. With all people, with all manner, with all respect, purpose, and righteousness, we must compartmentalize order into every scene and subject of my life. A simple verse comes to mind... (Leviticus 11:44) "For I am the LORD your God: you shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creeps on the earth." The blueprint is portrayed quite simply in this verse. God almost seems like a parent telling a child to do something when the child asks "why" he blatantly responds "Do it, because I'm your father and I said so..." So the next time we find ourselves "creeping around", we better remember what our Dad said...
In the end, the tiles will remain to be visually pleasing to the passerby until one day they will need to be ripped up and relaid. It was recognition of the disarray of the tiles in my life that caused me to start a renovation. It is my prayer that we would not be so caught up in the cycle of depression and complacency as to not see the condition of our spirit's symmetry. May we lack the pride to consult God's blueprint and allow it to restore the order in each and every one of our lives. Amen.
(Thanks Ewa!)
This revelation came during a time of devotion about a week ago. Yet I had not truly given myself to the Lord's work to collaborate this message. Tonight it was brought to my attention that I had fallen off the path. I had allowed my homework to become my quiet time, and my ambition to become my relationship. I have recently felt cut off, weak, and vulnerable. Brought to my attention by a distant friend, I have somehow regained the initiative in my relationship with the Lord.
Looking back, I focused my gaze at the pattern of tile fitting together seamlessly, taking note to the symmetry that characterized the rest of the room. Lines, shapes, skews, and angles; All of which working together to create something visually and emotionally pleasing, but why? What is it about natural order that creates a sense of well being? Furthermore, Who instilled this emotional state of order within us? The only clear perspective for these questions is to assume it is of divine mechanics. God created us to be creatures of order.
Take into account that the Bible is simply a blueprint. A blueprint telling us where each piece of building material should go. So that when we are done our lives should be built according to the order of the blueprint... It is then easy to see how the second half of the observation comes to term. "All things in disorder are detestable."
If anyone has ever returned home to find their living quarters in disarray, they know exactly how detestable disorder is. Socks littering the floor, dishes piled to the faucet so that you cannot wash your hands, and dishevelled bedding; these are all basic examples of disorder amidst one's daily presence. However, not only is this visually detestable, but it takes a toll on our emotional well being as well. The chaos and disorder that we build into our midst is a reflection of our hearts, for it is when our hearts are in disarray, so then are our belongings. It is a vicious cycle of depression and complacency...
Lately my spiritual life has been characterized by this depression and complacency. I have been caught up in the memories of my old, dead, former self. As a result, I have forgotten how to bounce my eyes and I have allowed the poison of the world to seep into every pore. My mind began to wander toward the rationalization of sin; and debates with apostates have led to the questioning of my sound faith! I have allowed friendships to grow cold and I have become introverted. Left phsycially and emotionally exhausted, I have become a cold Christian... Surely my efforts meant well, but my pride disallowed me to consult Christ's orderly blueprint, thus bringing forth all forms of disorder. After all, I am a man who never reads the directions, I just dump all the pieces on the floor and look at the picture to assemble the project! (Seldom does this approach ever bear fruit however...)
So when we ignore the blueprint sent forth from God we find our lives detestable. Which alludes to the final sentence of realization, "Organize your life to be in order with all things." This was spoken in form of a command. Later that day I came home and tore my apartment to pieces. It was clean and tidy along the main thoroughfares but in the closets and under the bed it was a disaster! It was a reflection of my heart, everything looked Okay on the outside, but where no one could see everything was in shambles.
To organize my life with all things, however, is to assume harmony with all that surrounds me. With all people, with all manner, with all respect, purpose, and righteousness, we must compartmentalize order into every scene and subject of my life. A simple verse comes to mind... (Leviticus 11:44) "For I am the LORD your God: you shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and you shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall you defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creeps on the earth." The blueprint is portrayed quite simply in this verse. God almost seems like a parent telling a child to do something when the child asks "why" he blatantly responds "Do it, because I'm your father and I said so..." So the next time we find ourselves "creeping around", we better remember what our Dad said...
In the end, the tiles will remain to be visually pleasing to the passerby until one day they will need to be ripped up and relaid. It was recognition of the disarray of the tiles in my life that caused me to start a renovation. It is my prayer that we would not be so caught up in the cycle of depression and complacency as to not see the condition of our spirit's symmetry. May we lack the pride to consult God's blueprint and allow it to restore the order in each and every one of our lives. Amen.
(Thanks Ewa!)
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