30, 60, or 100 Pieces

If there was one thing that I had to choose to do on my down time, it would be putting together a puzzle. There are some puzzles that are 10 pieces, 50, 100, or 1000 pieces. They all offer their different levels of intriguing difficulty and excitement. While I was putting together a puzzle with some friends this past Thanksgiving I was thinking how puzzles really paints a picture that links life in the natural with the spiritual. 

Imagine for a moment, that your life is a puzzle (I’m sure this is not too hard for most people to imagine), and there are so many things you want to do with your life. However, you cannot seem to figure out where you want to start. If you have accepted Christ as your Savior, then the puzzle begins with salvation. At salvation, there are important fundamental foundations that are to be laid down. Those we can imagine these fundamentals to be the border pieces of our puzzle. After the foundation is laid, we must go on and mature in our walk with the Lord. These are the rest of the pieces that go inside of the borders. 

I have never seen a puzzle piece that has center pieces on the border. That would be too confusing because you  would not be able to know which side the pieces are to go on. This would take up twice the amount of time and effort then usual. How do we know if we are being given a puzzle piece or even where to put that piece? God has given us His word (scripture) so that we can understand this mystery. Our ministry, the purpose of the church, and the revealing to us what our purpose in this life is quickened to us through the Word of the Lord. As He hands us a puzzle piece we are to receive it, wait upon the Lord to hear where we are to put it down on the board. 

One vital thing we must remember is that God will never give us a puzzle piece to another person’s puzzle for our own. He may give to us a puzzle piece for us to give to another person, but we are not to keep it and try to make it fit into our piece. A friend may be struggling with knowing what the wants them to do in their life and God may give to us a word (a puzzle piece) to give to them. We don’t keep that word (puzzle piece) for ourselves, but we give it to them. We are to help each other out to hit the mark in our life here on earth. This life here on earth is just the foundation for our life in Heaven. We are one body and we must build each other up and help each other make it. 

Also, there are times where we see a puzzle piece and we think we know where it goes. It appears to fit in that spot, but later on, when we find ourselves stuck, we find that the piece we forced in was not in the correct spot. God may give us a piece of the future. We are to hold on to that piece, but not try to make it work and fit in the now when it is meant for the future. You may ask, "Why does He give it to me now then?" God gives us pieces of the future to give us a vision to work towards. If we didn't know what was to come, then life would seem like it had no point. We look to the future plans and purpose that God has for us and we work to get to that points. 

We must learn to quiet ourselves and allow God to not only give us those pieces, but to instruct us where exactly they go on the board. So many times, as humans, we want to take the control and do things ourselves. However, this, more often than not, ends in disaster. Each piece has its own small image of the whole picture. Allow God to not just give you the piece, but show you what it is and where it goes.

There were some times that I remember working on a thousand piece puzzle and there would be parts where I could not find one specific piece. That can be how we feel at times in our walk with the Lord. There is one piece missing and we try to find it on our own efforts and we get so discouraged so quickly. We seek to find it on our own. Sometimes it is because we are seeking for something that we are not suppose to know or see just yet. Other times it may be that we are looking for a piece that is not a part of our puzzle. 

Now, I get to the purpose of my title: “30, 60, or 100 Pieces”. We read in scripture of the 30, 60, and the 100-fold Christians. Also, the outer court, the Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. Those who are 100-fold are those who have entered and dwell in the Holy of Holies (Gods presence) and they have hit the mark in their lives. We want to make sure we have completed the puzzle. We can only do that if we put all of the pieces together and put them in the correct spot. Looking at marriage, one of many examples, we must marry the right mate, otherwise the other pieces that are suppose to go in place after that piece will not fit. It is so very important that we understand the importance of marry the right one.

When we come to the end of our life here on earth and we go to see our life. How much of our life is measured up to what God’s plan was for us? Will it be only 30 out of 100 pieces put together, 60 out of 100 pieces, or 100 out of 100 pieces put together. I want to have my puzzle complete. I not only want to see the whole beautiful picture that tells the story of my life with Jesus on earth, but also see the joy in my Heavenly Father’s face as He sees me completed in the beauty of Holiness, Jesus Christ within us.

Let us strive to make sure that we are receiving the pieces God hands to us. That we learn to wait to hear from God where the pieces go. Lastly, make sure we don't try and put other pieces, that do not belong, in our puzzle image! 

God bless!