The Need for Fellowship

I am in the process of purchasing my first home. It is such an exciting adventure to be taking part in. From the looking at houses with the real estate agent to the adrenaline that rushes as you anxiously await the counteroffer, this process is a truly exciting ride. But during this whole thing, there are also those moments where you dread hearing from your realtor. One of this such moments is after the home inspection.

The inspector just examined the house that we had made an offer on. He returned with a report that had a few areas of concern attached to it. How could the house that my wife and I were swooning over have any flaws? While they were not major flaws, they were still areas of concern. They were things that had gone unnoticed by the owners because they had just blended into the background of the house. It took someone who was willing to search for the blemishes to find the imperfection that could have led to serious concern if they were to be left untreated.

Is this not the way it is with our lives though. If we took a step back and were honest with ourselves, there would be areas of our lives that need to be addressed. Maybe these areas are not major things, most likely they are not, but they are blemishes that could lead to serious issues later. It could be a habit that we have or an area of our life that we have sought to keep hidden and locked away. This is why God has given us brothers and sisters who genuinely care for us as God does. As we allow these people to have the authority to speak into our lives and keep us accountable, then we become blessed by a set of eyes that are not tainted by seeing the same thing in the mirror everyday. They can give us fresh perspective or bring to light that which we have been too afraid to bring to the light of day. I know it is difficult to allow others in. We become vulnerable in their hands, but with much prayer, God gifts us with exactly the right person or persons in our life who seek to lift us up in this process and bring glory to God as He perfects our blemishes. How about it? Are you willing to find a brother or sister in Christ and let them in? Are you ready for God to do a mighty work in your heart?

A Year Later

So what happens to a blog that has not been posted on for a year? It sits in cyberspace picking up internet dust and lacking the possible impact that it was intended to have on the lives of those who seek to follow it. I want to apologize to those who sought to follow my blog and to my blog for failing in allowing it to fulfill its purpose and impact others lives. My commitment is to change and do better.

Recently, I have been doing a lot of thinking along the lines of this exact subject, not fulfilling our intended purpose. I was reading in the book of Isaiah and this verse stuck out to me:

What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? When I looked for good grapes, why did it yield only bad? (5:4)

As I meditated upon this verse, my heart broke as I realized that I am that vineyard that God is speaking of. I am the one in which he sought good grapes and found only bad ones. If I am honest with myself, God has given to me more than I could ever hope for to impact this world in such a way that my actions would bring him the glory and honor that he deserves. Sadly, I, all too often, seek only to benefit my own selfish ego and put off doing the difficult and most uncomfortable works of service that might be what honor God the most. Just think for a moment about all of the work that God has put into me (and possibly even you). The short list would include:

He died for me.

He filled me with himself so that I might have a guide.

He gave me his Word, revealing himself to me.

He gifted me with abilities, talents and passion so that I might fulfill his calling.

He has granted me opportunities that can only be explained by his hand.

All of these things he has done for me and when he comes looking for the good fruits of his work, he can only shake his head as he comes across all too many rows of bad fruit. My prayer today and for the many days to come is that I will be mindful of the work that my King and Savior has done in my life. I will seek to fulfill his purpose in doing those works in my life. I will present the good fruit of the harvest as an offering of honor and glory to him who started and continued the good work in me. May my heart be in tune with God's as I seek to fulfill his calling.