Skip to main content

Worth a Thousand Words

When trying to understand a concept, sometimes a comparison or a visual can be very helpful. The inspired writers of the New Testament used that technique a great deal, especially when talking about the people of God.

For example, Paul says that we are the “family” or the “household of God” (1 Timothy 3:15). A household in those days included everyone; mother, father, children, aunts, uncles, cousins and even those who worked for the family. It was a broad and inclusive idea. Everyone had a place and everyone belonged.

Continuing that idea of belonging is the concept that we are “the body of Christ” (1 Corinthians 12:12-20). Just as in our physical bodies, each part contributes to the whole and makes things better. In God’s kingdom, there are no unnecessary parts. Everyone has a place.

Other word pictures stress the closeness that we have with God and his son. Revelation 19:7-9 tells us that we are “the bride of Christ”. Now that is something! God chooses the closest human relationship that we have, that of a husband and wife, to describe his relationship with us. Think about that for a while.

Other more common pictures are that of “Sheep with their shepherd” (John 10) or a “Father with his child” (Galatians 4:4-7). Both of those pictures are images of protection, provision and care.

We are also called “God’s field, God’s building” (1 Corinthians 3:9). Fields are used to grow certain things. Buildings are built with a specific purpose in mind (you build barns differently than houses because they have a different job). This reminds us that we have certain things to contribute and certain purposes to live out. As Paul said, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (Ephesians 2:10).

These pictures remind us that we have a good message to share. They are positive and each of them speaks about how much God loves us.

Fortunately, the pictures say it all.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Art of Noticing.... Seeing what we need to see and what we miss when we don't

 What we focus on in life matters. Here are some scriptural reminders that will help us see correctly.  https://youtu.be/Rn76tV0ZH8s    
Post a Comment
Read more

New Article: A Path Worth Following

  Jehoram was a terrible king.  He reigned in Judah around the year 850 B.C. and he did not care about God or his people.  His first act as king was to assassinate his six brothers so that no one could challenge his authority.  He was brutal and selfish.   Therefore, when the Bible sums up his life, it says, “Jehoram… passed away, to no one’s regret, and was buried in the City of David” (2 Chronicles 21:20).  Did you catch that?  “To no one’s regret!”  What a terrible phrase for your tombstone. On the other hand, consider a lady named Tabitha.  She lived in the city of Joppa in the first century A.D. and we are told, “… she was always doing good and helping the poor” (Acts 9:36).  She became sick and died.  This caused the community so much grief that they called Peter, who was in the nearby town of Lydda, to come and help them.  When Peter arrived, a crowd gathered, bringing all the robes and other clothing that ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Consider This: Press The Button!

  Consider This:  Press the Button! My favourite TV game show is Jeopardy.  I used to like it even more when my kids were younger, because I could easily beat them and look smart.  These days, after they have grown up and gone to university, it is much more difficult.  However, Jeopardy is still the only game show I will watch. In a book I read, a contestant who did very well on the show shared the secret to his success.  He said (and I am paraphrasing here), “You must press the button before you know the answer.  Everyone on Jeopardy is smart. Everyone knows the answer. The key to winning is to act.  You must jump in and press the button, assuming that your brain will catch up and supply the answer.  If you wait until you are sure, you will be too late!” Press the button! Too often, we hesitate, not because we do not know what to do, but because we do not want to do it.  Sometimes, we fail to act because we are not sure how the situatio...
Post a Comment
Read more