To be completely honest, so far, this has been a hard month for me. From the suffering I’ve witnessed in other people to the things that God is pulling out of my own life, I’ve experienced a lot of pain lately. My human nature immediately questioned the Lord and wondered what in the world He was doing in me. When I ask for growth I never ask for pain to come with that change. Alas, true growth cannot happen until the dead limbs are cut out of my life to make room for the new branches.
As I searched for answers in the trials, and sought out ways to make this pruning worth the cost, I came to a realization. So often I ask my Father to do a work in my life, to show up in great ways, and to mold me into the man He has created me to be; but at the same time I oppose the very things He has placed in my life to bring about that change. Most of the time blessings come wrapped in trials, and this confused me for years, until now. Several days ago, in the middle of a week of multiple “mental crisis” I was dealing with, I woke up with a word from God that blew away my doubts as to His methods of growing me this month.
In 1 Corinthians 6:19 we are told that our “body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.” The verses around verse 19 explain that since we are the temple of God we have to treat it accordingly. Although I knew these verses, I had never thought of them in the context of Mark 11:15-17. In this passage we see Jesus in rare form, forcefully throwing out sellers and overturning moneychangers. He wouldn’t even allow anyone to carry merchandise through His temple, reminding us “My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” Then it clicked.
I am the temple of God. I am to be completely used by Him, used as a ‘house of prayer to all nations.’ But I am constantly bring in my own agendas and relying on all the things that I think I need in my life to be a “successful Christian.” When that happens there has to be a violent overthrow of all my preconceptions and a throwing out of all things not of God. Only then am I operating the way that the temple of our Lord is supposed to operate, completely emptied of myself and completely full of His Spirit.
Be careful of what you ask for my brothers and sisters. Our Father is so loving and gracious towards us that He will indeed pull out all things holding you back from Him, if you so desire. Most of the time, that process will not be anything like you imagine it to be when you ask. It will almost certainly be more painful, but oh let me tell you, it will be so very worth the price. If we want more of God, we have to give up whatever it is that has been taking His place in our lives.
“Oh Jesus! Purify my heart and open my eyes to see more of You! I want to abandon every preconception I had of Your work in my life to this point! My heart is open to you Abba. Tear out everything that I have replaced You with and exchange my filthy rags for Your glorious Presence! Thank You Lord for loving me too much to leave me where I was before. I am the son of my Father and while I walk on this earth I will be a temple filled with His prayer. “
His Beloved,
Tanner Hubbard
