“I was over at one of my neighbors the other day,” Stan commented. “You’d have to see it to believe it, but this guy may have the world’s most organized garage! At least it’s the most organized garage I’ve ever seen.”
“Organized garage,” I replied. “That sounds like an oxymoron to me.”
“I can relate to that,” Stan said with a laugh. “A lot more than I can relate to a sign my neighbor has in his garage.”
“What sign is that?” I asked.
“A place for everything and everything in it’s place,” Stan replied.
“Oh,” I said. “He’s got a sign that says that. He’s really serious about being organized!”
“You’re right,” Stan said. “We talked about how he doesn’t want anyone putting anything in the wrong place. Everything is supposed to go where it belongs.”
“From that,” he continued, “my neighbor and I talked about how organization fits into our faith and faith walks.”
“You mean like ‘organized religion’?” I asked.
“No, not that,” Stan replied. “It was something else. Are you familiar with what’s called ‘compartmentalized faith’?”
“Compartmentalized faith,” I repeated. “Isn’t that when people keep their faith separated and they don’t make it a part of every aspect of their lives?”
“That’s it in a nutshell,” Stan said. “For example, making Jesus a part of your Sunday church service, but putting Him on the shelf for the rest of the week.”
“Or,” I said, “how about looking at the Bible when we get together with the fellowship group from church, but not at any other time?”
“Or praying,” Stan added. “Praying at the church service or with the fellowship group, but never spending any time praying alone with God. Or with the books we read, or the movies we watch, or our relationships, just about anything and everything!”
“Yeah,” I said,” it can be a long list. That doesn’t seem like a very good idea.”
“That’s what my neighbor and I were talking about,” Stan replied, “About how Jesus is to be the ‘everything’ that should be in every part of our lives. No compartmentalization. None of this allowing Him in some parts of my life, but not in others.
“It seems to me,” he concluded, “that there should be no questions about where Jesus fits into my life and into my faith walk. Just like my neighbor’s sign about ‘A place for everything and everything in it’s place’, Jesus is to be the everything that is in everything!”
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Bible verses to consider:
As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all of your behavior; because it is written, “You shall be holy for I am holy,” 1 Peter 14-16.
For God has not called us for the purpose of impurity, but in sanctification. 1 Thessalonians 4:7.
And every one who has this hope fixed on Him purifies himself, just as He is pure. 1 John 3:3.
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Corinthians 7:1.
And He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, for by His wounds you were healed. 1 Peter 2:24.
Prayer: Thank you, Father, for your provision of your only begotten Son who took upon Himself the penalty for all of my sin and separation from you. Thank you for those who brought me to that truth so I could accept it and know I will spend eternity in your presence when it’s time. Thank you that you want my relationship with you to extend to every part of my life. I confess that too often that does not happen because I choose to keep you out of certain parts of my life. Please forgive the foolishness of trying to compartmentalize my faith commitment and relationship with you. Help me follow every step of your lead so I do choose to have you in every aspect of my life. Thank you that I can and do bring these prayers before you in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Think on this: Have you accepted God’s free and gracious provision of life with Him for eternity so you know which compartment you will be in? If no, why? If you are a Christian with the assurance of salvation and redemption, how are you doing with having God in every part of your life, not just certain compartments or aspects of your life? If you sense the need for change so that God is not excluded from any part of your life, how is that change going to happen? Is that what you want? Why or why not?
Waiting for the Train 