HOME FURNISHINGS

Recently we had the opportunity to drive over to Tuscaloosa and help our pastor and his wife move to a new home.  I imagine you could tell a few stories of your own about your moving experiences and may understand our situation.   Although we volunteered to help, and although we love to be able to assist our pastor in “just about” anything he wants to undertake, he almost killed a large portion of his congregation that day. 

I thought I was in pretty good shape and could out-work any man half my age.  But if there had been just one more box, one more piece of beautiful antique furniture that I had to move…I think they would have just had to call the undertaker and let him move me.

We can accumulate a lot of “stuff” in just a very short time.  I guess it all comes from the fact that as days and weeks and months and years go buy we find things we “think” we just can’t do without. So, a chair here, a picture there, a rug, a couch a book shelf…and before you know it, you have an 18 wheeler full of furniture or more arranged, stored, stuffed into the four walls of your dwelling. 

The apostle Paul must have understood the concept of furnishing a home.  In II Timothy 5:17 Paul told Timothy to make sure his house was thoroughly, completely, furnished, now get this, so that he could be a perfect man of God.

Paul wasn’t talking about the place where Timothy “hung his hat”.  Instead, he was speaking about his heart and soul.  Now, I’m sure I will have some who will disagree with me.  I have no desire to debate my next statement with them although  I believe I have significant scriptural evidence to prove this convection.  I believe with all my heart that a pure, clean, perfect God intends, no demands, people who call themselves Christians to be pure, clean and perfect as He is.  That condition, that state, is not set aside for someday nor is it meant only for heaven when we walk the streets of gold, it is meant for the here and now while our feet walk the dirty streets of our cities and towns. 

He has provided a way for that to happen.  Because He is omniscient and knows everything. He knew that you and I would not be able to live a Holy, clean, perfect life by ourselves.  So, thank God, He provided us with a Comforter, a Helper who would be “with us” and “in us” as we negotiate this experience we call life. 

Just like the ocean, if broken down, would be H2O and a tiny drop from that same ocean, if broken down would be the identical H2O, not as big, not as mighty, not as powerful but the same. So we as Christians can be Holy as He is Holy.

I could really get into telling you about the infilling of the Holy Spirit here…but I would be chasing a big rabbit and so I will leave that for another place and time.  For now, let me tell you about a few pieces of furniture that you need to have in your spiritual house.  These items will help you, not only to enjoy your stay but will also help you to be useful in God’s kingdom and be a perfect man of God.

First you will need a good table.

I have plans to build a table soon.  I envision a nice long, rugged, wooden table with long benches on both sides with two chairs that sit at each end.  You know, kind of like a Walton’s family table.  I want to build a table like that for times when our family comes over for Thanksgiving or Christmas or birthdays, we can all sit together and eat together.  It might be more difficult than I first thought however.  Problem?  We live in a very small house with a very small kitchen / dining room.  I think I could build the table.  I think I have the materials on hand now.  But when I get the table built, I don’t think it will fit into the house. I might need to re-think this project. 

A table is where you can sit down and be fed nourishing food that will make your body strong and healthy.  Sometimes the food we eat is not all that healthy but it is enjoyable.  Our spiritual table is the same.  It is there that we sit and feed our souls from the Word of God.  I love it when I can just pull up a chair to the Word and eat until I’m full.  Some of the things I consume are words of wisdom, things that are healthy and will benefit me spiritually, now and in the days to come.  Some of the spiritual food I eat is for my enjoyment.  I leave the table smiling, rejoicing, grinning because I just filled my soul with “comfort food”.  Let me encourage you to make sure you have this great piece of furniture in your house.

You will also need a desk. 

To me a desk is a place to study.  I have spent many an hour at my office, sitting behind my desk studying various plans, policies and procedures.  I think the desk in your spiritual house is a place where you not only read the Word of God but also study the Word of God.  There are so many “helps” available to us today.  Bible dictionaries, concordances, study Bibles and translations abound.  Many great men of God have taken much time to expound on the Word and share their understanding in commentaries.  We miss out on so much that God has for us if we fail to study God’s Word. 

Paul told Timothy to “study to show thyself approved unto God”.  It would be very difficult to be the man or woman God intends for you to be if you do not spend time at your spiritual desk studying God’s will and Word for you.

The last piece of furniture that I want to mention to you is a bed.  I believe for many Christians this is a piece of furniture that is not used as it should be.  Beds are for resting and relaxing.  It is there we gain the strength we need to fight another day. 

Many nights I drag myself to bed, tired, sore and unable to go much farther and after a good nights rest in bed, I'm up and at'em once again in the morning ready to work another day.

 

Many Christians use this piece of furniture way too much.  A hard working, diligent, laboring Christian needs a place to rest.  Jesus Himself said, “Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest”.  But that place of rest was for those who actually labor and are heavy laden, not for slackers who sit on their good intentions and don’t work.  (Gospel according to Bill, chapter one).

I have seen good, hard-working, Christian men and women work themselves into the ground and become useless to God or anyone else because they failed to utilize the place of rest.  We need time to rest.  But don’t submit to the trick of the devil to get in bed and stay there.  Rest, then get up and fight again.

These are just three pieces of furniture that you need if you want to have your spiritual house in order and make sure that it is completely furnished.  There are others I am sure. Don’t fail to be the best you can be, with the help of the Holy Spirit by not having your house thoroughly furnished.