We, and when I say we, I mean those of us who live in the land of endless opportunity of what we call America, have an obsession to newness. We love the shiny things of life and often are motivated to that end. Don't get mad at me, allow your bank statement to prove me wrong. Unfortunately, the church is often the worst offender of this way of thinking. The delusion and obsession of newness reaches far past our purchases, but finds its way into relationships, the churches themselves, even Heaven and Earth. When things are hard or seem too far gone, often the easy thing to do is to start over, but what if by doing so we are missing out on so much of what God may be wanting to teach and to offer us?
It’s rare that buildings collapse, but they do. The beauty in failure is the information that can be obtained that led to a break down whether it be a building or a relationship. I have a relative who is a product engineer for a major tool brand. At times he is asked to create a prototype and then seek to find its weakest point, to break what he built in order to analyze the weakest point of the tool. This gives him an opportunity to gather information as to how to create a product that will not break but serve as a conduit of building something bigger.
We surely are not called to break anyone down simply so we can build back better. The theme of restoration began in Genesis 3 when God exiled, (shalach, to send or to let go) Adam and Eve from Eden. This exile from Eden was a gift of mercy so that through the Lord, restoration would be possible to those who would receive. And the LORD God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat and live forever.” (niv).
Although our calling is to create new life, to be fruitful and multiply the goodness of God’s kingdom here on Earth. Our tendency when conflict arises is to move on to someone who will agree with us, someone who can get on board with our agenda, someone who is easier to work with. The danger in casting others out is not simply the damage we create with pride, but moreover what we may be missing out on by what God may want to be unlocking within our own hearts when we seek restoration through humility.
Transparency is critical in covenant. The word transparency isn’t found in the Bible, but numerous Scripture passages exhort Christians to live holy and blameless lives (Eph. 4:25, Ps. 139:23–24 , 1 Pet. 2:12, Heb. 4:13, 2 Tim. 2:15, Phil. 2:15, Prov. 28:13). Jesus says, “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Transparency is living our lives reflecting Jesus’s light as we acknowledge our need for gospel reminders, accountability, and repentance. (1)
Parakaléō, means “to encourage” or to “come alongside”. But Paul is Hebraic, the Hebrew equivalent is nāḥam, a word that expressly involves God’s comfort divine encouragement, or heart. In context he then uses oikodoméō to affirm that this is a work of the spirit. (2)
Most trades people with tell you building something new is easier that remodeling. New construction eliminates unforeseen challenges that arise when opening the walls of an older building. There’s no work in removing the products that have failed and finding ways to recreate a home to be better than it ever was. When an old building is removed, it can appear as though the materials that once held that structure together are completely gone and eliminated, but somewhere there is a landfill that holds the waste of what was once someone’s dream.
In the same way, we can never quite escape or eliminate the severing of hearts that broken relationships create. Unless we’ve truly received from the Lord the grace that’s been lavished on us, edification will only appear as cheerleading or thinking positively as the world may describe. Edification has spiritual sustenance that will strengthen us as the church that beyond what is possible by human hands. To take a step into reconciliation that leads to edification, it takes a willingness to see someone as they created to be according to scripture and (Genesis 1:26-27, Genesis 5:1-2, Genesis 9:6, Psalm 8:5, Colossians 3:10, 2 Cor 3:18) not just how they may be acting. The results of edification foster a powerful unification amongst the body thus displaying the Tov culture the church has been designed to emanate. We aren’t simply called to edify; we are designed to edify. Edification toils, tills, cultivates, and fertilizes the soil of the heart.
Trust the process!
Happy remodeling...
Paul
1. Cultivating a Culture of Transparency in Your Church by James Choi
2. Expedition 44/Edification Again
