Someone must really not like me. A few months ago, someone put out a
puzzle in the church, spread out all the pieces, and let it sit there to torture me. And it’s a hard one, a city street scene with lots of grays, a few flags, some horses and buggies. I am one of those people that sees a puzzle and has a near uncontrollable need to work on it. A few months have passed, and I’ve got all the tree pieces put together. But the time sorting and fitting has got me thinking of all the metaphors associated with the fascinating phenomenon of puzzles. First we get the border done while we are flipping all the pieces over so we can see what we’re working with. Then we separate based on color or theme. From there, we try the pieces over and over based on the lines, colors, and shapes of the cut. A good puzzle has lots of variation, and takes a bit of time to complete. Then, finally, as we put the last piece in, we stand back and look at the completion of the image that looks just like the one on the box. Jesus is like the picture on the box, and our church and community is made up of people shaped pieces. Individually, we look nothing like the whole holiness of God’s kingdom, even if we become as perfect as we can be in being the color and shape that we are. God has a picture worked out, and there is only one way we fit. We may try to force ourselves to fit with people we don’t fit with, and we may want to be a different part of the picture that is easier to put together or gets more glory. We may try to avoid being linked with certain other people. Paul may not have done puzzles, but perhaps they have become such a popular past time because of how closely the process resembles the deeper truths of life. In Romans 8: 28-29, Paul says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son.” It’s not that God didn’t give us free choice. He did. He also made us to fit into a larger picture, that, when we choose to submit to his image, becomes a clear picture that God is not only real, but is good, perfect, and beautiful. So my challenge to you is this. How are you fitting in your family? How are you fitting in your church? How are you fitting in this community? Or are you trying to be a puzzle unto yourself? You are beautifully and wonderfully made, but you were also made with specific purpose, specific calling, and toward a picture much larger than yourself. See you at the watering hole. SG
10 Comments
2/5/2020 08:09:00 pm
To be able to fit in a certain community, there are things that you need to do; adjustment is a must. We must never adopt the thinking that "I am this kind of person and I'll never change for someone" because that's really unnecessary. What we should do is to always know how to adjust for other people regardless if it will benefit us or not. In a certain community, understanding and patience is a must. We should always think of the general welfare more than ourselves!
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AuthorSean King is the Pastor for First Christian Church of Cisco. Archives
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