Build it!
Most Christian women I meet and talk with express a longing to live a prefab life. They want a prefab marriage and prefab children. They desire to socialize with prefab friends and worship in prefab churches and serve a prefab God.
What do I mean by that? Anything that is prefab is produced artificially, quickly assembled, and constructed in sections at a factory for the least cost possible so as to pass the minimal standard test. Outwardly, it meets the livable test but it does not meet the enduring test of time.
I see women, Christian women, who assemble their prefab lives from parts taken from other peoples lives. Buying the books and magazines and copying what others say and do, trying to meet the standard of approval by those who are only looking at the outside. All the while, waiting for God to show up in their prefab world and do something great.
Show me the Christian Woman who is living an authentic Christian life. Where is she? They are few and far between because, to live an authentic Christian life requires sacrifice, it requires work, it requires change and it costs. You can’t buy it, you must live it. You can’t assemble it, you must build it.
Living your Christian life has got to become more than getting your needs meet and when you die you go to heaven and not hell. It must become more than God is in my life to make me a better me.
God is not in your life to make you a better you and give you pointers on how you can do something better. The Bible is not a magazine with tips on how to make living your life easier and more efficient.
God is in your life to, CHANGE YOU!!!
Romans 12:2- “Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”
To be transformed is to be changed. To be transformed is to change in appearance, condition, nature and character.
I don’t need anymore validation or self-esteem. I don’t need anymore tips, pointers or suggestions on how to live a better life. I NEED TO BE CHANGED!
I pray as you start this year that you will not set goals on how to be a better you or how to live a better life but that your goal and heart’s cry would be “Lord change me”.
I want to live an extraordinary life and build a house that has not been copied and assembled by the culture in which I live. But I want to be changed into His image, building my house according to His blueprint and leaving a legacy for those who will come after me.
My prayer for you is that you will allow the Lord to change you and that the Word of Christ would richly dwell within you…Col 3:16
Excellent! Back in the years when subdivisions were becoming popular, making home ownership affordable, a song came out. I was a young girl at the time, but, I remember a small part of the song, which described these houses. It went something like, “There’s a white one and a green one, a blue one and a yellow one. And they’re all made of ticky-tacky and they all look just the same.” Yep, just the same old house repeated over and over. The only difference being the color of paint applied to the exterior.
I don’t want to be a carbon copy woman, just existing in a carbon copy “affordable” house, wrongly thinking that this is all there is to living the Christian life. Change me Lord, so I can live as an authentic, original woman, and not be satisfied with anything less! Thank you, Pastor Connie, for such a timely message for today’s Christian woman.
I had never really pictured Christians longing for a prefab life, but many do. Interesting. When you think about it, we have become a society that wants instant gratification and instant everything. We want it run like a drive thru at McDonalds. It has to be convenient and easy. The sacrafice and effort is minimal. We want deliverance, but we don’t want to follow thru and commit. Thank God Jesus didn’t want instant gratification or a prefab society. Excellent teaching. Thanks!
Well said! The pre-fab Christian life IS BORING. It is “going through the motions”. It is superficial. Did I mention it was boring?? I’m so thankful for Pastor Connie teaching on this topic. Real is so much better than pretend. I want to live that authentic life–and really live!
This is the first time I have heard any teaching on “”being authentic. On being NON-pre fab. How many of us just fell into that way of thinking and living becasue we didnt really live life consciencly ?? I want to go deeper than just surface “image”. You wont find this teaching anywhere –Im certain.
for so long there has been unrest with me,but not knowing what it is. Its because I want a “religeon ” that I can relate to. Something that is real, deep, lasting, and built right from the foundation up. One that is not teaching “self image” or feel good methods, or sensational circus tricks. Ive let myself get ripped off along the way. this has been what it is~~ now I know.Im going to get deeper with this and let the holy spirit change me , so it finally becomes right.I believe that the uncomfortable places of dry misery , are springboards to the calling to ‘come up higher’. God is tweeking the fine hairs in the rifle scope –slowly changing me one click at a time. so that I hit the target I was meant to. No more looking thru the unfocused lense.
I appreciate the teaching and renewing of my mind.
This is soooo true. I believe every women feels this way at some point in their lives. Thank you Lord that I no longer need to feel that way. I am so happy that I have freedom from the Lord.
Connie, you have the beginnings of a wonderful ministry here. Your mom would be so proud of you. We all are!!! Love you much. Blessings.—Dusty
AMEN! I used to read the Word looking for tips on how to make things better. No more, now I read the Word seeking to understand,praying about how I should be changing and living my life for Him. He meets me every time and I feel so satisfied having been in His Word.
I look forward to the next time and know that I am not just living a cookie cutter life, I am building a house that is not copied.
Thanks for encouraging me~ Nancy