Undoing

Hi there! I’m back, and already we’re pivoting. I have a post together that I thought would be the second of the MAKE ROOM blog, but today in the secret place, God gave me a word that I feel an urgency to share with you. I believe it’s timely and important.

A few weeks ago, I was traveling for work and visited 5 churches. One team in particular welcomed me with immense kindness and hospitality that was distinct from the others. It was clear that they were full of the love of God in a unique way. Our morning of meetings went well, and over lunch, I posed a question, “What’s something you’re personally excited about or celebrating at your church?” One of their team member’s said that he is encouraged that their staff is actively refocusing on making sure that Jesus and the Gospel are the center of everything they’re doing. His words penetrated my heart. My eyes immediately got cloudy. “They get it,” I thought. 

If you read my first blog post, Introduction to MAKE ROOM, you know that I’ve been on a deeply restorative spiritual journey through the grace of God, the suffering of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. My relationship with each extraordinary individual of the Trinity has been particularly special in the last year. Before I entered this season, there was a long period of undoing. As I pressed farther into the presence of our Holy God, it became clear in the revealing nature of His perfection that there were things in my life I needed to unlearn. Some of those things were cultural norms, personal norms and even religious norms that needed pruned and thrown into the fire. 

This process was slow and painful as comforts I’d been all too familiar with for years were pried from my head, heart and hands. The end result of this undoing left only one thing to remain: Jesus. Friends, He is literally it. Nothing matters but Him. Everything was created in and through Him and is currently sustained only by Him. 

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and
is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms
and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see such as thrones,
kingdoms, rulers and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him
and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together. Colossians 1:15-17

The answer I received at lunch may seem unusual coming from a church staff. Churches are already all about Jesus and the Gospel, right? They often start that way, but the fact is that both people and religious institutions can drift. Many of us begin with good intentions, yet over time, subtle shifts occur. Our devotions reduce to a checklist of tasks. Our prayers focus on us as we seek His hand rather than His face. Worship songs becomes more about what God can do for us than about Him and His holiness and character. Messages start sounding like self-help talks. Bible studies evolve into social clubs with a hint of Jesus. We think this is it. We think this is all God has to offer. It seems close, but if our framing and focus is anything but all of Jesus, it’s so far off. Practicing our faith this way often leads to immense disappointment for our famished souls. It’s like ordering your favorite meal when you’re starving but settling for the aroma rather than savoring and taking in the much needed nourishment.

If we want to experience a transformational move of God individually or institutionally, there is no other way than to give Jesus back His rightful place on the throne in our lives and churches. We must pray and ask God to search our hearts and show us what needs stripped away to MAKE ROOM for Him. He is the treasure. He is the prize. 

Galatians 5:24-26 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions
and desires of their sinful nature to His cross and crucified them there.
Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives.
Let us not become conceited or provoke one another or be jealous of one another.