Bridgeworthy

I have a client who is a delightful woman in her 70's (if you knew her, you wouldn't believe it either!). Her mother lives with her in a little apartment that my client built just for her on the back of the house. Her mother is 95 years old. 95 years old! Wow! You would never guess her age if you saw her. She's a cute little white haired lady, and she never stops going. She still drives (quite fast, I've heard her grandson say), and she's always on the go. Yesterday when I was there, part of my job was to spiffy up her little apartment to get it ready for her bridge game that afternoon. It was her turn to host, and she needed a little help getting everything in order.

I've had many mature ladies for clients, and I knew exactly what needed to be done. In addition to the usual vacuuming, dusting and mopping,  I looked out for cobwebs in the light fixture, baseboard dirt, and spots on mirrors. In my cleaning experience, ladies of advanced age tend to be very critical of their friends' homes. They notice every dust bunny and unclean spot, so the place had to be perfect. After an hour of hard work, it was bridgeworthy, indeed.

Did you know that the Bible calls your body a "temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?" (1 Corinthians 6:19) That's where God lives. Once you invite Him in and ask Him to be your Lord and Master, You are God's little apartment here on Earth. What an amazing truth! But do you ever feel like you have to do a ton of work before people "visit" you? Do you feel like you have to be perfect before you let anyone see who you really are?

It's difficult to be genuine sometimes, because, just like ladies of advanced age, we human beings all tend to be rather critical of one another. We notice if another Christian holds a grudge. We see it when an unkind word is spoken. If that teenager's skirt is a little too short or someone puts on a few pounds, our critical eyes see it. On some level, it must make us feel better that "at least I didn't do THAT." But that kind of self righteous thinking (and I'm just as guilty as the next person) is every bit as sinful as the other sins we might be observing.

Here's the truth - God does not expect us to be perfect. That's His job. We need to stop trying. Life is not a bridge game where everything has to be in its place before company comes. In 2 Corinthians 12:9, Paul, after pleading with God to remove a "thorn" from his flesh, got this answer from God. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I [Paul] will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."  God's power shines brightly through our weaknesses, through those cracks and cosmetic flaws in our temples. It's okay to let people see the real you so that they may see God where He lives. If you can find the courage to be real with people, they will witness God as He does housekeeping with you and they will be amazed at the power they find in your weakness, because, if they know the real you,  they'll know you never could have done that on your own. 

After all, which of these houses do you think you'd feel more comfortable in?

This one....

Or this one?

Father, thank You that I don't have to be perfect to be in Your service. Thank You that, no matter how many mistakes I've made or how many flaws I have, You still desire to use me for Your mighty purposes! Thank You that You "have chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." (1 Corinthians 1:27). Thank You that I can trust You to do all the housekeeping and repair work that needs to be done in this temple.

In His amazing love,
Amy



copyright 2011, Amy Wallace