Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Created for a Purpose



Something was definitely wrong. It was cold. As I stood at the kitchen sink, the air blowing out of the vent at my feet was anything but warm. Overnight, the temperature in our balmy state of Georgia had plummeted, causing us to flip the switch from air conditioning to heat. The only problem was that no warm air was rushing out of the vents to greet us. After a brief trip to the basement, my husband realized that the pilot light was not on and was stubbornly refusing to be re-lit. Time to call the heating and air specialists.

We placed a call to FlowTech Mechanical Services first thing Monday morning. Fortunately they were able to put us on the schedule for later in the evening. Unfortunately, that meant we had to endure the arctic chill that had crept into our house overnight. Its icy fingers convinced us that layers were an absolute 'must.'

Clothed in winter coats and toasty slippers, I wrapped my hands around a steaming mug of coffee, resisting the urge to don a pair of gloves. Ok, so it wasn't quite that cold, but you get the picture! Since our upstairs heating unit was working just fine, both my husband and I retreated upstairs to begin the day's work.

Throughout the day, it was humorous to note that neither one of us spent an extended period of time downstairs. Each of us would only do what was absolutely necessary, before heading back to the comfort of the upstairs. The temperature difference from the chilly downstairs to the pleasantly warm upstairs was noticeable.

It didn't take the heating/air specialist long to determine the cause of our problem. The circuit board was bad and would no longer allow the igniter to do its job; hence the cold air in spite of moving the switch to 'heat.' If I'm not mistaken, when it was originally manufactured, the circuit board's job was to provide power to the igniter which, in turn, causes the unit to heat the air and push it out through the vents, warming the house.

What an accurate picture of our lives before salvation. God created each one of us in His image. Genesis 1:27 spells it out plainly, "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them" (KJV). He created us for a specific purpose: to walk in fellowship with Him, bringing Him honor and glory. When Adam and Eve chose to sin against God, man was no longer in fellowship with his Creator. He could no longer fulfill his God-given role. Similarly, when the circuit board in our furnace stopped working, the pilot light went out and the unit stopped performing the function it was created to fulfill. It no longer heated our home.

A blood sacrifice had to be made to atone for sin so man could once again enjoy a relationship with God (Heb. 9:22). Throughout the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were made according to God's instructions. When God the Father sent His son, Jesus Christ to this earth, He became the ultimate sacrifice to forever atone for the sins of the whole world (Heb. 10:10).

When we accept God's gift of salvation by grace through faith, we are indwelt by the Holy Spirit. Paul words it beautifully in the book of Ephesians, "...in whom (Christ) also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise" (1:13b). We are once again brought into fellowship with God and we can chose to live a life that is pleasing to Him. We can chose to fulfill His purpose for our lives. In much the same way, when the faulty circuit board was replaced, power raced to the igniter, and once the pilot light was lit, warm air coursed through our house. The furnace was doing the job it was created to do.

What about you? Have you accepted God's gift of salvation by grace through faith so you can walk in fellowship with your Creator? If so, are you fulfilling the role He's called you to?  Pray for His guidance as you follow Him, today.

*A re-post from October 2009.

14 comments:

  1. I continue to pray that God would guide me and open my heart to His word and direction. Faith is something that keeps me going each day...and keeps me on the path of salvation. Great post Maria!

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    1. KC - Glad to hear you're doing well! Faith is HUGE! Stay on that path, KC! Enjoy your weekend & God bless!

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  2. I continue to ask God what He would have me do with my life. Thanks Maria!

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    1. Terri - So glad it sounds like your settling into life in TX! He DOES have a purpose and plan for you, my friend. Keep seeking Him! God bless!

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  3. Hi Maria -

    I ask the Lord to show me the course corrections I need to make, so I'm in His will.

    Blessings,
    Susan

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    1. Susan - This is so important! Never thought of it as 'course corrections' before - love the idea! The Lord knows the exact path I need to take! Hugs and blessings!

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  4. I pray I'm fulfilling His role for my life! It's my daily prayer:)

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    1. Susan - Good to see you! You're extremely wise - to make this a daily prayer! God bless you, my friend!

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  5. There is an oddly sweet line about purpose in the new movie, Hugo. I think you would like it.


    Fondly,
    Glenda

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    1. Glenda - Thanks for stopping by! My husband and I saw Hugo, but I don't remember the line you're talking about. Any hints? Have a beautiful weekend, full of God's blessings!

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  6. Nice comparison to God's plan for our salvation. Thanks for the post, Maria!
    Aloha! --Cheryl

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    1. Cheryl - Wonderful to see you! Appreciate your kind words of encouragement! Was thinking of you last month when my husband and I had the opportunity to visit Maui - one of your beautiful islands of Aloha! God bless!

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  7. I love the way you take an everyday situation and find Spiritual value in it. Well, yeah. It's always there. We just have to have Spirit eyes to see what He's trying to teach us.

    Thanks for the inspiration, Maria!

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    1. Marji - Great to see you! Love the way you put it, "We just have to have Spirit eyes to see what He's trying to teach us." So much of it IS being aware of where God is working and joining Him there. He has lots to show us! We just need to open our eyes to see it! God bless and have an awesome weekend!

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