Living Stones

  Living Stones

“As you come to him, a living-stone rejected by people but chosen and honored by God-you yourselves, as living stones, a spiritual house, are being built to be a holy priesthood to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:4-5

Do you want to grow closer to the Lord?

Growth is an act of faith. Living stones are being a speaker of praise, declarer of truth, a love and light. 

Building relationships takes time. Our relationship with God isn’t any different. I had a little preschooler the other day build me a flower out of gear pieces. This little guy didn’t always like me. When I started in his classroom he made sure he knew he wasn’t going to listen to me. When I asked him to do something the first time he responded with a no and looked away from me to continue doing what he was doing. I knew this was very common. When you are new, kids will test the boundaries. It is almost like they look at you and think, “Are they really going to follow through?” Testing the boundaries. Working with this little guy I started to notice something as he got to know me more. My expectations weren’t something outrageous, just things that helped him to understand structure and routine. The more he understood my heart behind the task and got to know me he warmed up to me. And yesterday as he sat with another teacher he made me that flower. Out of nowhere he just did it. I smiled and told him how special that was and took a picture. I could never understand why God said the things He did and created the boundaries He did until I understood the heart behind it. It was never to stop me from having fun and it was always so I could live a fuller life. Like that preschooler I lived looking away and not listening to discover the more I understood the why the greater peace I received living within the boundaries to keep me safe.

God desires that we would be built into a spiritual house together but that requires understanding the why behind that. God who always desired that we would know Him  stepped into flesh so He could live among us to show us how to live. Jesus became the foundation and the Rock on what we build our lives upon. “For it stands in Scripture: See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and honored cornerstone, and him who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 1 Peter 2:6 Jesus has always been the plan.

A shared life in community with one another. Understanding together that together as living stones we are the church. Being built up together Living for the One who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. We have a choice. We can build our lives on anxiety, fear, pride, and selfishness or we can build on Peace, Assurance, Security, and Joy. His Spirit within us can live in a way that captures everyone around us, “What is that they have and how can I receive that?” Living is alive and active and ongoing showing others their purpose and how Christ is the cornerstone. 

Living stones belonging to Jesus Christ. So Jesus can build into us something so beautiful and unexplainable in a world that needs to know His love.