By Jenni Ingram
Member, First Baptist Church, Gantt
During our recent travels, we went through some road construction. OK, OK, we went through a lot of road construction. We also saw some renovations going on.
When we got home one of the town’s most popular restaurants was reopening after months of renovations.
This got me thinking about what they were trying to do. They were putting a new face on an old building to encourage new business and increase profits.
The problem is, if they don’t change the internal problems — like lacking customer service, maybe inedible food or faulty products — the new façade isn’t going to solve the problem.
It’s the same thing with us. When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we have to give the Holy Spirit complete control of everything internal — starting with our hearts.
Changing our outward behavior is a start, but “playing church” is not the object. Being a fully sold-out (or “souled out” if you prefer) follower of Jesus Christ is the only renovation that should concern us.
This not only means joining a Bible-based church, but being active there too. It means study, prayer, praise.
It means sharing and caring, not just for other Christians in our faith community but also for people we may never meet.
It means having a passion for the things of God, beginning with a solid relationship with Jesus. It means having a burning desire to see the lost saved, the lonely or imprisoned visited.
It means going out and being the body of Christ, not sitting idly by and letting someone else do it. It means stepping out in faith every day and letting God work through us.
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