Am I able to fit wherever God places me? Am I a thorn in people’s flesh or a pleasure to be with as an ambassador for Jesus? Can I bloom where God plants me?
How do I bloom, how do I grow in my circumstances and relationships? We often refer to the fact that we are the living stones being prepared by God to be fitly framed together corporately. I grow through voluntary humility, this is the mortar that binds us together as the lively stones in the temple and makes us fit for a habitation for the presence of God. We become a living sanctuary, a home for the presence of the Lord.
This position in Christ is often hampered in us by criticism in our judgement of others, creating schisms in the Body of Christ, His church, (read Romans 14). God declares in Romans 2 that we are inexcusable when we judge and criticise others with our natural judgements, using the sight of our eyes and the hearing of our ears. There is a great lack in the Body of Christ of spiritual discernment because there is so much criticism prevalent in natural judgement of others. The gift of discernment is spiritual judgement which carries absoloutely no criticism or hard feelings towards others in that knowledge.
The first commandment of God given in Genesis 2:17 continues to be broken on a daily basis by Believers: “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it, for in the day you eat thereof you shall surely die”……. not a physical death but a spiritual one. As I refuse tree knowledge, (natural judgement), the Lord enables me to have spiritual discernment, the source of which is in Jesus, the Tree of Life.
1 Corinthians 12 describes the diversity in the many membered Body of Christ. Each has it’s own particular function, co-existing and working together in harmony. The parts that we may deem less honourable, uncomely, or feeble are all very necessary and we are warned to have the same care for these members as we esteem the more comely. We do well to remember verse 18 : “But now has God set the members every one of them in the body, as it has pleased Him”. If I want to please the Lord, then I need to embrace and love every member that Jesus shed His blood for, and honour the Lord in them.
Let us stop criticising others expression of faith and accept the diversity in the expression of their gifts. All gifts are to be used for the glory of God. The final assessment for everyone is to be found in Jesus words: “For every tree is known by it’s own fruit”, Luke 6:44. Look for the fruit.
Our first question was: Do I fit where God has placed me? Am I operating in Christ’s many membered Body as a healthy, functioning part, accepting those who God has set me with at this particular season, finding enabling grace, walking in humility, bringing glory to the Father through Jesus Christ His Son.
Bloom where you are planted…..you can be scent where you are!
Photo by Justin DoCanto on Unsplash
