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When something is not working properly it is said to be ‘Out of Order’. We tend to think of that as being synonymous with ‘broken’. The irony is, nothing may be physically broken at all?! All the essential pieces may be fully functional and yet the machine isn’t operating properly. Often times, the issue isn’t that the essential pieces are missing or snapped in half, it is that those working pieces are operating ‘out of the order’ that they need to operate for the machine to work effectively. I’m no car mechanic but I know enough about engines to know that they need both water and gasoline (among other things) to function properly. Both are important, even vital for the engine to operate at its peak performance. However, though both are important if you put the gasoline in the radiator and the water in the fuel tank you will have a mess on your hands! Why? Aren’t both needed? Aren’t both helpful and valuable to proper function? The issue is they are the right things in the wrong places which renders them completely ‘out of order’ and even destructive. So what about your life?
When we dismiss the order of things we end up with a mess and often want to blame God for the problem. God, in His wisdom, has clearly laid out His proper order for our lives in the Bible to protect us from this very scenario! If we dismiss that order or feel it is old and unnecessary for our lives today we only have ourselves to blame for the outcome. Even then, God in His great love and humility offers His love and rescue but we must submit to His Holy Order that brings beauty for ashes.
Here are 5 practical examples of the ‘out of order’ scenarios common in our world today (especially among those who call themselves Christians):
1. Sex before/outside of marriage – Sex is beautiful and made by God, but like a fire, it is only truly beneficial and properly enjoyed when kept in the ‘fireplace’ (covenant marriage). It becomes a destructive force once outside the place it was designed to exist (even if you ‘plan on getting married eventually’). Right thing, wrong place.
2. A man’s strength and ability to provide is to be a blessing to his wife, family and community, not a tool with which to dominate and control them or to woo other women. Right thing. Wrong place.
3. A woman’s beauty is to be a blessing and honor to her husband, not an ‘item’ to flaunt for self promotion, a commodity to sell, or a tool with which to manipulate men. Right thing, wrong place.
4. Attending Church and Reading the Bible is life-giving when our goal in doing these things is to be conformed more into the image of Jesus but not when we use them as a ‘holy’ form of self-help or mere religious learning. Right thing, wrong place.
5. Financial Offerings are powerful tools to position us under the blessing of God by trusting Him with and thanking Him for the resources in our lives by giving gifts as an act of faith and honor to God. They are sour when the goal is to ‘be seen as generous’ or to be used as a bargaining tool for influence with God or our church or community. Right thing, wrong place.
Of course, this list could be endless but I wanted to give at least a few practical examples of wonderful things that can have a negative effect when they are out of order in life and society. We do not have to think long or hard on any of these 5 things to find the negative impact they can or have already had. (read my post on ‘Restraint’ to consider this further)
To the person that knows water and gasoline are vital for engines to operate but are oblivious or dismissive to the order in which they must be used, severe anger and disappointment can take over. They may have worked hard to obtain the water and the gasoline. It may have cost them a lot to pull it all together and now, not only is the engine not working it may be broken beyond repair. I think we all have come to places in our lives where we could draw a parallel to this story. It is one thing to deal with brokenness when you know you haven’t tried. It is another thing entirely to have worked so hard and still be left with a mess. That can lead to hopelessness. But we are not as those who have no hope… (I Thess 4:13). Ask the Lord today to bring Holy Order into your life. Invite the Holy Spirit to show you where good things are in the wrong order which may be producing a negative result. He is for you today and doesn’t want you spent and in despair. If we will be faithful to listen, He will be faithful to lead us. The good news is you may already have all the tools you need, now you just need His Holy Order in place to enable you to fully operate in the blessed life He has made available for you to live.
“The steps of a man are established by the Lord, when he delights in his way; 24 though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.” – Psalm 37:23-34 ESV
“Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.” – Proverbs 11:22 ESV
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. 5 Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, 6 not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, 7 rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, 8 knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free.” – Ephesians 6:4-8 ESV
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