Hewn and fit in place

Do you 'fit in?'
Have you allowed God to shape you and place you where He wants, contented to be a part of His work, by His design?

Peter uses a rich and wonderful metaphor that captures my imagination: "you, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house." (1 Peter 2:5, NKJV) Reading that, my mind goes to the cathedrals built from common stone - often limestone which can be carved and shaped. Each stone, from the huge foundational ones to the intricately carved ones that decorate the tops of the walls, is carefully fitted into place, together becoming something beautiful. Ordinary blocks of stone, pulled from the quarry, of little worthy or beauty individually, are formed into an awe-inspiring place where God is worshipped.

That's what He wants to do with you and me! In immaturity, most of us seek to be 'known.' We work at differentiating ourselves from the crowd. That teen with the amazing hair-do or with all that hardware in his face is just trying to tell the world - "Hey, look at me. I exist! I am me!" As he matures, he will find his identity, grow comfortable in his own skin, and begin to meld himself into community. With intellectual and emotional maturity, he will realize the importance of being a part of something bigger than himself, of giving up some of his individuality for the sake of society.

Mature Christians realize that God has called them into the Body of Christ, that He wants to fit them into His temple - and it's not a terrible thing, either. God has to do some shaping, knocking off the sharp edges, preparing us for that place in His design. The Believer who's jumping up and down yelling for attention, who needs to be the 'super-star,' just needs to grow up in Christ, to be settled and secure - becoming "a living stone!"

In the same passage, Peter (the nickname that meant 'the rock,' that Jesus gave to the man who was actually named Simon) reminds us of the secure foundation on which those living stones rest. "Come to Christ, who is the living cornerstone of God’s temple. He was rejected by the people, but he is precious to God who chose him. ... As the Scriptures express it, “I am placing a stone in Jerusalem, a chosen cornerstone, and anyone who believes in him will never be disappointed.” " (1 Peter 2:3-6, NLT)

So much of life is marked by change, by shifting priorities, by things temporary and passing.
Meditate today on the solidness of God's work - on the immoveable and unchanging character of Jesus. Praise Him for working to cause you to 'fit in,' and rejoice in the opportunity to be part of a great Temple where His Presence lives and is shown in beauty to the world.