Saving the World But Neglecting Your House
Haggai 1:2-7 Amplified Bible (AMP)
2Thus says the Lord of hosts: These people say, The time is not yet come that the Lord's house should be rebuilt [although Cyrus had ordered it done eighteen years before]. 3Then came the word of the Lord by Haggai the prophet, saying, 4Is it time for you yourselves to dwell in your paneled houses while this house [of the Lord] lies in ruins? 5Now therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways and set your mind on what has come to you. 6You have sown much, but you have reaped little; you eat, but you do not have enough; you drink, but you do not have your fill; you clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages has earned them to put them in a bag with holes in it. 7Thus says the Lord of hosts: Consider your ways (your previous and present conduct) and how you have fared.
My Spiritual mentor told me something a long time ago, which was, that we have to work out our own salvation and we have to spend time with God, so we will know Him for ourselves. Prophetess Melinda Richardson had taught me well. These words carried me through good times and bad, and through church hurts and broken promises, being ostracized and being an outcast because I was in pursuit of God instead of man. It had kept me through times of abuse physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. This morning as I spent time in prayer, I heard the words so many of my people are trying to save the world, but my house is in ruins. I waited on God to speak, because I knew that there was more to it than just those words. I began to remember how so many had been led astray by false leaders, prophets and saviors proclaiming to be God’s man or woman of God, because they had not spent time building up the temple, which was them. My heart sunk…all I could do was press into prayer a little harder.
Many of us have gotten in a place where we are running around trying to save the world, being everything to everyone, and doing little to improve God’s House, US. We are using church as a means to justify our actions, our comings and our goings. We have left our spiritual life and house unattended as we attend to everyone else’s and to attend a building. We have even left the doors open to our homes and families because we have left God’s house which is us unattended, decaying and crumbling into ruins. We go to church to get a fix and then we do not do any additional work or maintenance all week long. Many of us have just replaced our need for drugs, alcohol, sex, food, etc… with church; we have become church addicts instead of Jesus addicts. We are addicted to the high of the service, but then we come tumbling down in ruins because we don’t talk to God or really know who Jesus is, then when people come to us in need or giving us words of wisdom, prophecy or revelation we have no idea how to discern these things for ourselves. We often do not take the time necessary to think about what God needs from us, we only think of what we need from Him. That is why for many of us we cannot understand, why we still feel like we are discontented when we aren’t doing something or in some service somewhere. Many years ago I learned that the best place to build up God’s temple was in my office or bedroom floor or in my bed prostrate before God in the darkness and stillness of the very early morning hours. To gain instruction to build up God’s temple, the architect has to have undivided attention of the one that is being built, imagine if a building moved every time the architect tried to re-create it or refurbish it? I know it probably sounds pretty silly but that is what we do to God, He wants to place His hands on us to create in us, but we keep moving, going, and doing.
It is impossible to save anyone until we ourselves are saved from ruin. It is not being selfish to lock away with God and allow Him the time He needs to build up the Temple the House that is Us. We will always find ourselves empty, unfulfilled and unsatisfied with the do’s and don’ts can and cannot’s of others as long as we are addicted to saving everyone and our stuff lies in ruins or in desolation. God wants to build in us, and make us the house that He can reside in and one that knows His voice instead of people’s, knows His will and not the will of others over our lives. Let Him build you up instead of continuing to allow His temple to be undone. Consider what is most important to Him, because whether we know it or not it is vital to us!!!
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