Most Benevolent Savior, one of Your most cherished gifts to me is membership into Your church. You make reference to it in words like body, family, bride and dwelling place. These all illustrate the unity in purpose between You and man and shows each Christian the vital part they play in making up the whole. Your Word refers to members of Your church as living stones built into a living church that gives God praise and carries out the work of the Kingdom. The picture created in Your Word shows You as the foundation and cornerstone and each of us as individual pieces put together to create the whole. One stone does not make a temple … or even a wall … there is nothing without the rest. It is sometimes easy to forget Your principle of interdependence when the world encourages us to each do our own thing. I need to understand that when You call me to a task, You are usually calling others to work with me.
You once said that Your church was the pillar and foundation of truth. When You came to earth, You brought with You the truths that would help Your people live righteously, prosper and learn the way to freedom from the bondage to sin. You declared Yourself to be the way, the truth and the life. Like a light, we (Your church) should not hide who You are under a bushel basket. Your expectation is that we will be “lively” components of Your church filled with joy, excitement and hope. Our lives are to be built on the pillars of our belief and reliance on You. By constructing our lives on You and the truths You share, we should be able to withstand everything thrown at us and display the strength we get from being a part of You. Together, with other lively stones, we should become a welcoming place to others hurting and needing to be loved. Together, each of our individual efforts is multiplied.
Church buildings come in various shapes and sizes but Your church is not confined to four walls. It is comprised of people of every race and nationality who love You and have dedicated themselves to serving You. The challenge You offer it is to function as one living body. As believers, we have been blessed with Your kindness, called to a purpose bigger than ourselves, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, freed from sin and bondage and given new life to share as one household. Each person has been infused with spiritual gifts which are to be used in the building of the church and reaching out to the lost. I must never forget that, as Your church, we will be in a constant battle with the forces of evil who want to destroy it. That is why each of us should strive to eliminate criticism, backbiting, jealousy, grudges, etc. which cause barriers to unity in the church. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
I Peter 2:5 You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices to God through Jesus Christ.