Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Puzzling?

When I was younger I loved putting puzzles together. My eyes could see better, my patience had barely begun to wear thin. But now, it’s frustrating to sit quietly searching for the elusive place the puzzle piece in my hand will fit. If I force it into place where it wasn’t meant to go, the picture is ruined and it may be impossible to finish the puzzle. Now if I’m just expressing my creative nature, I need to design my own puzzle.


When we gather together, we can look like a pile of puzzle pieces freshly dumped from the box. When assembling ourselves together we begin to see what the picture of life is supposed to look like. Like every puzzle piece in the box – we all have a place, whether it looks ‘right’ to others or not. God created us purposefully and to fulfill the purposes He created us for. God’s Master Plan isn’t a conglomeration of guess work.

Unlike a cardboard puzzle from a box that lays lifeless on the table, God has breathed life into each of us. We’re living puzzle pieces. The Bible refers to us as living stones. ‘…you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple’ 1 Peter 2:5 NLT

Because so many of us exist in a fallen nature, not yet regenerated by the Spirit of God, we often try to tell other pieces where they should be and force them into places they were never designed to fit. We hurt each other. We deceive each other. We control each other. We take from each other. And we try to do God’s job of putting the pieces together properly.

It’s time to let the Holy Spirit do His own job. It’s time we submit ourselves to His leading and allow ourselves permission to fit in where He knows is best.

2 comments:

  1. Thank you for that excellent illustration! Just this week, God showed me where I am trying to force others into a place that I think they should fit, and how that puts me out of my place in the process. Love is kind, patient, gentle. . .

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  2. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment Kathryn. I've found myself in both positions - the pusher and the pushed!

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