A Shelter of Faith: Interior Design with Theology, Service and Ministry (Part 4)
This week, we are closing out our four-part series on building a shelter of faith. In the first part, we looked at Prayer as the blueprint for our plan. We then looked at the study of scripture as the foundation of our shelter. We then looked at the walls and the roof: community and the local church. The fourth component of the shelter relates to the interior. Once the plan has been made, the foundation has been poured, the walls assembled, and the roof secured, the interior design blossoms.
Theology
Most would agree that there are certain components of the Christian faith that are clear “salvation issues”: the triune God, the virgin birth, the death/resurrection of Jesus Christ, etc. These vital concepts are the “black and white,’ non-negotiable tenets that make up the foundation of our faith. However, there are so many other deeply meaningful theological concepts to investigate after establishing the “black and white” foundational concepts in your life. Some of these secondary issues may not be explicitly clear in the Bible, yet still merit consideration and study as faith matures. For example, secondary issues may include a topic like eschatology, or the study of the end times. Does a stance on a pre-tribulation rapture or post-tribulation rapture determine eternal salvation? No. Are secondary issues still worthy of research and discussion? Yes. Brothers and sisters in Christ can partake in a healthy discussion (and disagreement!) about secondary issues like this without concern about salvation in relation to the stance. I make the distinction between primary and secondary issues by examining their eternal ramifications. Stances on primary issues such as the resurrection of Jesus do carry eternal ramifications.
“Christian Living”
Anyone who has wandered into the “Christian Living” section of the library or bookstore can confirm: a LOT of people have a LOT to say about how to walk like Jesus. My recommendation in reading “Christian Living” books is to deeply question what truths you are gleaning from each book. Do those “truths” line up with what scripture says? John 10:10 describes a thief who comes to “steal and kill and destroy” the flock. We’ve all seen enough Looney Tunes to know that Wile E Coyote can make a pretty convincing sheep; we can be easily duped if we aren’t careful and discerning as to what we allow into our minds. As mentioned in Part Two with topical devotionals, there is good fruit to be gleaned from “Christian Living” books and very practical applications for our walk with Jesus. Put simply: proceed with caution and discernment.
Service and Spiritual Gifts
As mentioned in Part Three, community is vital in the maturity of our faith. As we discovered in Acts, the early church walked side by side with fellow believers while on missions and in the monotony of life. As our faith matures and we grow closer in relationship with fellow believers, we also have an opportunity to use our God-given gifts. The Lord has gifted each one of us with different gifts, talents, abilities, tolerances and resources to use for His glory. By partnering with the local church and the global body of believers, we have the opportunity to exercise these gifts for His Kingdom. For information in scripture about specific spiritual gifts, check out 1 Corinthians 12:4-11.
Our Connection Group recently took a spiritual gifts survey to determine our dominant spiritual gifts. After learning my spiritual gifts, my focus in ministry has shifted to better utilize my strengths. If you are curious about your spiritual gifts, feel free to take the same survey here. As with everything else, we should take this survey with a grain of salt and continue to follow the Holy Spirit’s prompting. Just because we score low in serving doesn’t mean we don’t have to serve. Just because we score high in exhortation doesn’t mean we start up a speaking tour across the nation.
Ministry
Closely paired with our spiritual gifts is our ministry focus. The Lord has uniquely created us with hearts that break for different reasons and He has uniquely placed us in different social networks for a purpose. As we think about our spiritual gifts in combination with our various resources, we can see our specific ministry focus take form. For example, let’s say you love kids. Let’s also say that you have a background in teaching and are uniquely gifted with shepherding or leadership. Children’s ministry within the local church would be a great fit! Taking the example a step further, perhaps your heart breaks for the orphan, the neglected and abused. Perhaps this heartbreak blossoms into an invitation from the Lord to take a bold step and participate in foster care or adoption. Because we are designed with purpose and care, our ministry focus can certainly reflect the same purpose and care.
As an aside, it’s worthwhile to mention that we don’t always get to choose our spiritual gifts or our ministry. While we can develop and mature certain spiritual disciplines, however, it’s ultimately up to the Lord how He will use us within His Kingdom. Using a personal example, I would not have chosen a ministry focus of grieving families. I never would have chosen the life experiences that are helpful to relate to someone who survives a child. As you think about your life experiences and the battles the Lord has brought you through, is there an area that sticks out? Ask Him if this is an area that He wants to use to further His Kingdom. Speaking from personal experience, it can be scary to lean in to God’s design for you in ministry. Friend, continue to trust that He is good and He is shaping you into His image.
In Anticipation of the Storm
So, what’s the point in building a shelter of faith? If our salvation is secure when we accept Christ as our savior, we aren’t “required” to do anything else, right? On a wedding day, would we lean over to our beloved and quietly whisper, “Now that we’ve exchanged vows, I don’t need to do anything else for the rest of my life to be married to you, right?” While legally true, we wouldn’t consider two individuals to be truly married if they lived completely independent lives. We wouldn’t describe a marriage as thriving if the two individuals didn’t talk to one another or didn’t yearn to know one another on an intimate level.
As much as Devin is a personal comfort to me during storm season in Iowa, I am even more thankful for the gift of the eternal father during the lifelong storms on this side of heaven. As Devin and I held hands and sang Sammi to sleep, I needed the foundation of scripture to withstand the waves of fear. And the foundation held firm. When the unrelenting winds of grief threatened to destroy our family, I needed our community to stand around us and protect us from the elements. As the weeks and months of steady rain fell, I needed my local church to protect me from the unrelenting rain. The walls and roof held firm. Though the storm still rages outside, the interior design of deeper theological understanding of the Lord within my shelter of faith has been the source of great joy and comfort.
At the end of Luke 6, Jesus reminds us of the same truths and reassures us that our efforts are not in vain:
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:46-49)
Regardless of where you are in your faith journey, the dedication to build and improve your shelter of faith will not be in vain. Whether your shelter resembles a shoddy shack or a cathedral, there is always room for growth. Onwards and upwards!
Are there areas of your shelter of faith that need more attention? Are your walls crumbling from the weight of the storm? Does your foundation need some attention after years of neglect? Though the outside of your shelter looks ornate, does the interior of your shelter need some attention?
