Burning Building Theology

One thing that I have been thinking about lately is how often times God sends us into the very places that we want to avoid.  For some it is helping people in areas that we have been wounded deeply.  For others, it is learning to love again after we have been hurt real bad.  And yet for others, it is doing a job that we know is stretching us waaaaaaaay beyond our comfort zones.  Whatever it is, it is the last thing we WANT to do... yet it is the one thing that we HAVE to do.

Imagine this.  You live in an apartment building for many years.  You have grown accustomed to walking the halls every day.  You are familiar with the lay of the land, and you generally feel that you could get out of there in an emergency.  Now... set that building on fire.  What happens?  Hopefully, since you know the building through and through, you can get out there.  So, with a bit of a struggle, you manage to get out of there in tact.

Thats when God tells you, "Okay, great.  You got out of there.  Now get back in there and save some of my people."

You nervously laugh, and say, "No God.  I just got out of there with my life, lets let the professionals do their jobs."  Thinking you convinced God, you try to get comfortable.

God responds with questions: "Do the 'professionals' know the building like you do?  Do the 'professionals' know where the most recent damage is?  Do the 'professionals' know the residents as well as you do?"  Then it hits you, you are being called to go back in there because you know what it is that needs to be done to help those people in your building.

We all have a burning building, we all have an area of our life that we would rather not go into because of the risk involved.  Whether it is past memories, a fear of what could happen, or something that could be traumatic, we do not want to reenter that area.  However, we are often the best people to go back in because we understand what it is like.  We have been there, done that, and overcame.

Paul says that we are conquerers through God who loves us (Rom 8:37).  Because of the fact that we have overcome the trials in our life, we can help others overcome the trials in their lives.  The truth is, that people who are enslaved to a sin or imprisoned by something will not look to a person who looks like they have it all together.  They will look to someone who can help guide them out.  The only way to be a guide is to have gone through the same spiritual terrain.

This is why I am writing today to remind you to never think less of your past.  If you have been through something, yes be careful about who you trust your information with, but do not be afraid to share your experiences with someone who could really use your testimony.  Remember, we overcome Satan by the blood of the lamb and the power of our testimonies (Rev 12:11).  So NEVER be ashamed of your testimony because SOMEONE needs to hear it!

I am going to close by encouraging you to pray about finding an opportunity to help someone who is going through what you have gone through.  Even if you think that you can not do it, I am confident that you can and you will be able to totally bless someone!  More so, God is confident in that.  There is a reason that he has allowed you to experience what you have.  So now the question is, are you going to bless someone by helping them through or are you going to sit on the sidelines.  My hope is that you run back into your burning building and save some lives!