The Symmetry of Christ

     The Holy Spirit shines His light on things needing correction on the inside of us. His "mission" is to bring us into the symmetry that is Christ.
     Before the change is made, however, we have to see it. Until then, we are uncomfortable with the status quo because He put in us a desire to be aligned with Him. His desires are our desires in that sense.
     He showed me this truth using an insignificant natural situation in my life; a parable if you will. I purchased two pieces of furniture for my bedroom; an end table and a chest. I had them placed in the best possible way I saw to place them, but I wasn't satisfied. Something was wrong, but I didn't know any other way. It seemed like I had tapped out the choices, and I'd just have to live with the arrangement. In fact, I had spoken out loud to my husband, "Well, I guess I'll just have to live with it." Then, as if answering myself I said, "Live with what? Imperfection?" And, as if trying to put this to rest in myself, I said, "Yes, Patti, you must live with imperfection." So, I thought I had laid it to rest in me, but the truth was I was lying to myself as an appeasement, but I still wasn't satisfied.
     I went to sleep that night with this dichotomy within me, but didn't know it. The desire to find the way that was just right (perfect) remained deep within.
     I woke up about 12:30am and decided to read. Looking back, I can see that this restlessness was the cause, but didn't know it at the time. Then about 2:00am, I returned to bed. During the course of my sleep, the perfect arrangement came to me. If my husband hadn't still been asleep, I would have moved the chest then. I was so excited to be able to see now what had totally alluded me before, and couldn't wait to set things in order.
     In the morning, I immediately moved that one piece, and voila, the bedroom was in perfect symmetry and the peace and happiness inside resulted.
     This was a natural picture of two things of the spirit: 1) We are made for perfection (wholeness in Him) and 2) that desire, which is really His desire in us will be met. Until it is we won't have true peace and rest, and our soul will not be satisfied. So, the urge in us drives us on to let Him do what He wants to do, until Christ be formed in us. He reveals to us (let's us "see" as a result of the dealings of the cross in us) the picture of Him, and then we are changed into His image.
     It is akin to the Scripture when Jesus says, "“I have a baptism with which to be baptized, and I am much afflicted until it is fulfilled.” (Luke 12:50) This same baptism that Jesus went through (the suffering of the cross) is the same one we go through, and until we do, affliction is ours. We think the cross is our affliction, but actually it is the avoidance of it that causes us unrest and anguish.
     His mission is to conforming us into His image and He will. On the other side of His dealings, we begin to see things we have never seen before; things we had never even thought of, and we change. In that place of change, (or death to our limited and unbalanced view of things) the symmetry of Christ begins to form, and continues until it is fulfilled. What a glorious thing this is, and with the drive inside that He gives us, we press on!!!! Amen.