“Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you…” (Mark 1:17 NKJV)
You are about to purchase an item, be it a car or clothing, a decorative item, or a device, shoes or when shopping whatever catches your eyes, and as usual, one of the things you do is to look at where it was made. You then draw conclusions, right or wrong, about the quality of the item, merely based on where it was made. “Made In…” indicates that the item is complete, finished, and all the work to put it together was done. The process is complete.
Now lay aside the thoughts about items and merchandise and the many products that just entered your mind and think about yourself. Focus on this truth: No matter how old you are, you are still being made in the place where you live, a Christian home, and hopefully in the place referred to as “your church.” Acknowledging this to be true, your continued development is taking place by attending to the study of God’s word. You are still being “Made-In.” And if, by chance, you think your development is over, complete, finished, and all the work that the Lord can do to improve you is over, you are, as they say, “You are sadly mistaken.” You are not done being made.
Admittedly and regretfully, not everyone recognizes the need to continue in the development process. Not everyone looks in the mirror and sees themselves as a work in progress. Let me share four real cases with you to make my point; two that reflect what I just said about individuals who think they are done with spiritual development, and two that clearly illustrates that our development is not finished, not even if we have been blessed to live a long life and as His disciples at any age.
Case #1: A young adult has stopped coming to church because they have gone, by parental rules, to go to church all their lives, and he/she thinks that he/she has heard all that is needed. That person is mistaken. We need to continue being “made in…”
Case #2: Another young adult, basking or maybe baking is more like it, in their independence and has stopped attending church and they are exercising their so called freedom to make choices. This person also believes that they have been made to attend church all their lives and now they do not have to do so. After all, they are “grown,” in their opinion. What this young person is leaving out of their thought process is that the Lord is not through developing them, and with every phase of life, a person faces situations that have never faced before and to handle any of those situations right, you still need to be developed. The scriptures one was taught as a child take on new meaning in these new situations and therefore one becomes like a new pupil who is need in being “made in…” Listen, I’m 73 ½ but I’m still being “made in…” God is still fixing me, continually shaping me, and persistently developing me as I make perfect progress on the Christian journey.
Case #3: This past Friday, one of the Friday Bible Study students called me as part of a three-way call with Aunt Louise. We may not be related by blood, but we are related by the blood of Christ. As the preacher says, “I think I just said something.” And being related, we do have many things in common. Aunt Lucille, in spite of the pandemic has not missed church. Let me restate with a few additional words to present what I just said in a more complete way and to make my point with a little more clarity. Aunt Louise, at the age of 102, even through the pandemic has not missed church. She’s been going all her life. On the three-way call she sounded vigorous, victorious, and very strong, sure about her faith and vehement about her trust in God. You would have never guessed her age by how her voice came across on the phone. I see that the Lord has blessed her with enthusiasm about being “made in…” I know that is the case because she explained that she does not miss church service because she knows that the Lord has left her here for a purpose and she recognizes the ongoing need for development is never-ending in this life, regardless if one is blessed to celebrate more than one hundred birthdays. She inspired me just by her conversation last Friday. I believe that the call was orchestrated by the Lord and there was purpose behind it. No doubt I felt like going on after talking with her. I felt the need to continue being “made in…”
Case #4: Jesus’ assumed the “train-the-trainer” role with His disciples, as He prepared them to do a greater work in spreading the kingdom of God. For three years, He was making them. And even after He ascended back to heaven, He left them, and us too as believers, the Holy Spirit to continue to develop us as we face new personal situations, new problems, and new predicaments in the new life as a child of God who is fulfilling their purposes as dictated and described by the Lord, as we walk in the newness if life. When Jesus told His disciples that He would make them fishers of men, He was referring to being “made in…” Aren’t you one of His disciples? Then shouldn’t you be a willing participant in the “made in…” process?
Look! Wherever you live, whatever your age, and whoever you think you are, please know that you still need to be developed. You still need to be “made in…” Pass this word on to someone who needs some encouragement to stay in the church and to remain in pursuit if fulfilling their purpose. We are not here just for ourselves. We have been left here for a purpose and, once again, we need to continue to be “made in…” Have a great Tuesday! Be blessed!
“I am convinced and confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will [continue to] perfect and complete it until the day of Christ Jesus [the time of His return].” (Philippians 1:16 Amplified Bible)
Still committed to the climb,
Mark L. King