Excavating
Josh Knipple brings it to us like only Josh can. I certainly appreciate his honesty and challenge. Thx Josh
Last Tuesday was a day. It is one I won’t forget. What started as a typical morning definitely changed quickly around lunchtime. I was getting ready to leave the church and for some reason I had a heaviness on my heart to go up on the roof to pray. My own “Whispering Spot.” While sitting there praying God laid it on my heart to look out over Central Park. Complete destruction at this point, a mud-pit with excavators everywhere. To many it is an eyesore, seeing it in it’s current state. For some it is a frustration point, but God was laying on my heart yesterday to look ahead. To see it for what it is going to be. Yes, we could have kept living with it how it was, cracks forming in the sidewalks, trees cracking, and it being “good enough.” We probably could have just kept putting band-aids on making it worthwhile for summer events and the weekly market. For Central Park to become what it is going to be in the future, excavation had to take place, things had to be dug up. Change had to be made.
Then He had my eyes shift to the Incline, again instead of focusing on the here and now, focusing on the future riders, and visitors. Repairs had to be made, and with that meant some renovation, tearing down of some of the old rotted planks to be replaced with new. Or it could just sit on the hillside as a reminder of the past, with kids asking what it used to be.
As I sat there pondering out over the city, God kept impressing on my heart, “what are the areas of your life that need some excavating for you to become the best version of yourself for me. What are the areas you have been putting Band-aids on when you need stitches. What are the areas of your life that we need to replace the old with the new.” But God, I am “good” how I am. I don’t want to expose the broken pipes underneath that are causing the cracks. I don’t want to do the work to actually make long term changes. Can’t I just keep doing the same things that I am?
Clear as day He spoke, “Do you want to be the best husband and dad you can be? Do you want to be the best leader and example you can be? Don’t you want to live the best life I have for you?” Yes of course I do. “Then let me do some digging. It may not be fun for a season, but it will be exactly what is needed.”
The next day during prayer He took it one step further, with the vision of Jesus himself driving an excavator into a sanctuary. At first, I got a chuckle out of it picturing him that way, until he started digging. “Jesus, what are you doing,” I cried out. Almost like the scene of him flipping tables he spoke with authority, “The pride within my walls has to go. The division needs to end. The self-righteousness I will cause to fall. The words being muttered under the breath that are destroying. The politics being mixed in, worshipping man over me. All these things that are taking place within the walls, it is time to return to being a house of prayer.” Even as He dug taking out the pews, I caught myself objecting, “Jesus, stop.” His eyes then pierced through me, “The church was never meant to be about comfort. It was never meant to be about picking and choosing a place that suits your needs over truth. It was never meant to be about you. It is my “Father’s house, stop treating it like it is about you.” Hearing His words and seeing His eyes brought me to my knees in worship, a heart convicted.
Scripture talks about the circumcision of the heart, maybe this will bring new meaning to that for you. It may not sound enjoyable or an experience you want to go through, but maybe it is exactly what is needed. Allowing God to cut away the areas of your heart from becoming the man or woman that He has designed you to be.
As I left yesterday afternoon, I felt a sense of renewal, refreshing, and also a new way to look at Central Park and renovation.
“Lord Jesus, get the digger out and dig up what you need to.”
Make it a Matchless Monday! God is good…