Messy

This (the household of God) is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth. 1 Timothy 3:15b (NLT)

 

I don't get it. How can something as messy and unpredictable as the Church be the pillar and foundation of the Truth? You and I have been around long enough to know that hypocrites are a growth industry and they often wind up populating churches. Not a day goes by that someone does not try to convince me that they (in particular) do not need to be part of a church. They can get God "directly." I am not sure they actually do this, but they tell me that the door is there. So, what's up with the Church?

 

I think we (if you subscribe to the Church) are the pillar and foundation of the Truth because of God and not because of us. We are frail. We lie a lot or, at least, like to fool ourselves. I personally have made a cottage industry out of selfishness. We do hold higher values than the world but I am not sure we are much better in upholding them in our actions (even if we babble godly sounding stuff when prompted.)

 

No, it is God who chooses the church as the place he will build up the Truth. Not due to merit on our part but due to the fact that God desires the Truth build up. God chooses where to start. He chose the Church. He could have picked all the 7-11's or even Walmart or the Pittsburgh Pirates. The church is the foundation of God's greatness because of God.

 

I would guess this means that we do our best work when we get out of the way and let God work through us. I fear we often get in the way and assume God thinks just like us (so naturally, God would want what we want and work the way we work.) Sinks work better if the garbage is cleared out. We, the Church, can generate a lot of garbage unless we remember we were chosen not because of merit but because of grace.

 

God can and does build his new creation using us. How will you let him do his best work today through you?