My husband used to subscribe to a magazine called Dwell. According to their website, in Dwell, “We feature new ideas about what a home can and should be, offer expert advice for making your own space a better place to live, and provide a marketplace for the best-designed products available.” That’s good news for people like me because home decorating/interior design. . .well, that’s just not my ministry. So, I would enjoy flipping through the pages, looking at what people have done to their homes and what could be done in my own home. . .with about $200,000 at my disposal.
What made me think about this magazine was that I was reading Ephesians the other morning and I was reminded of chapter 2 verse 22 (ESV), where it reads, “In him, you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit”. That verse first caught my eye a couple of years ago. I think it’s pretty heavy if you think about it. And a monumental task that indeed only God can pull off. . .making us, those who profess faith and to be followers of Jesus Christ, to be a dwelling place for God. This morning, I was reading Colossians 1:19, which says, “For in him (Jesus Christ), all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…” So, beyond the obvious observation, which is the fact that we, all of us believers around the world, are being built into a dwelling place for God verses the fact that all of God is already/currently dwelling in Jesus, my question is, “Are we actually being built into a dwelling place for God?” I am not insinuating that God cannot handle the task. I guess the more appropriate question is, “Are we allowing Him to build us up into a dwelling place for him? What does it mean to be a dwelling place for Him? And before I go any further, please understand, I am talking to myself. I am asking myself these questions. You are just along for the ride. But, perhaps you may need to ask yourself these questions.
Remembering that the New Testament was originally written in Greek, I went to look up the words for “dwelling/dwell” in Greek to see if they were the same word. Well, they are not exactly the same words, but they do have the same root word, katoikeō, meaning to dwell in, settle in, to pervade or to govern. As believers, most of us go to church on Sundays or we try to. We try to give a helping hand when we’re able. We try to do the right thing in a given situation mostly when it’s convenient. But what is it to have or allow God to really settle in, to pervade, to govern our souls? To be a place for Him to really dwell in us and for him to be pleased to dwell there? At all times?
Unlike the bamboo flooring, quartz countertops, and pops of color needed throughout our physical houses as suggested by Dwell, the first thing I thought of is that our dwelling places for God ought to have in them love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The Fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-24). These qualities should exude from us as proof that God through Jesus is in us. My next thought was being holy, having a compassionate heart, being humble, walking in meekness, bearing with others, forgiving one another as the Lord has forgiven us and being thankful…all the time. (Colossians 3:12-17). Which means if I am a dwelling place for God, then He cannot share the space with covetousness, impurity, idolatry, anger, wrath, slander, or obscene talk, etc. (Colossians3:5-8), at any time. This seems so overwhelming and quite frankly, it is! How can we love all the time, have joy all the time (even in difficult circumstances), be holy and forgive everyone who has ever wronged us while ridding ourselves of unrighteous anger and covetousness? We can’t. In fact, Paul says, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” (Romans 7:18) But, great news, Paul also says to the Philippians (1:6) that “I am sure of this that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Christ”. So, his message to the Philippians is the same for us. That he who began a good work in us will bring it to completion, so the monumental task of being a dwelling place for God is not really our job, it's God's job.
I remember growing up in the Midwest where we had tornado warnings and tornado watches. To distinguish between the two, the meteorologists would always say that a warning meant that a tornado was imminent-one has been sighted, but a watch meant that conditions were favorable for a tornado to occur. In order for us to be a dwelling place for God, I believe we have to create a situation where conditions are favorable. In other words, we do have to put forth some effort. Jude 24 encourages us to build ourselves up in our most holy faith; to keep praying in the Spirit and to wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. I believe if we make that our chief goal to live in light of eternity with our Savior Jesus by reading/studying/living out God's word, going to church where we can encourage and be encouraged by other believers; praying and asking the Holy Spirit to help us submit to God in all things, then we can be that space-that dwelling place for God. He can bring out all those things in us. We will exude all of those things that Paul mentions in God's word, in the Epistles.
The next question is are we willing? In a “You do you/love yourself” culture, are we willing to lay
aside ourselves to be a dwelling place for God? Are we willing to lay aside social media and the pursuit of riches? Are we willing to push aside all the mess of our day and focus on the Lord, eternity, him coming soon and the job that he has placed before us to make disciples? I have to admit that I have gotten caught up in the daily routine of life: making sure the kids get to where they need to be, making sure dinner is on the table, making sure that so and so is not hitting their brother or sister, making sure I’m recycling, making sure the kids are reading each day, making sure they’re watching the right thing on TV and this, that and the other. Not saying that all of that is not important, but I believe the enemy has used that stuff to desensitize me-to draw me away from what my priority is. And my priority is to be a dwelling place for God. It is to surrender daily so that my Savior can take up residence in my inner being, thereby enabling me to fulfill what God has called me to do-to lead souls to him so that heaven will be how it is described in Revelation-a number that is too big to count, full of people from every nation, tribe and tongue who will live together with our God who will dwell among us.
Hmmm...something to think about.
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