Often, a large group of special needs adults hang out at my Starbucks. And there’s a lot of them: 50-65. It’s always a fun experience: So much dancing and singing, hugging and high fives as they sip their Frappuccinos and nibble on their pastries. Only way I can explain it is that Starbuck turns into this pre-lunchtime night club for special needs adults.
Today, was one of those days. I’d finally occupied “MY SPOT,” the envy of all Starbuckians. As I tried to focus on my work, a young man with Down Syndrome approached “MY SPOT.” He eyed the chair next to me that had my bag on it. He and I made eye contact as he pulled off my bag and put it on the ground, sat down, and smiled. What could I say? I was powerless. As much as I wanted to say, “MY SPOT!” I just couldn’t. He then put his hand out to shack hands. I shook his hand expecting a greeting. He said nothing. During his 15 minutes of inhabiting “MY SPOT” we traded handshakes about 5 times. He’d lean over to look at my computer to see what I was up to. “MY SPACE” had been invaded.
Do you know what else is a Space Invader? God’s Word.
Paul tells us: Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly… Colossians 3:16a (NKJV)
Dwell means to be at home. Paul is saying, “Let the Word of Christ make itself at home in your life.”
“Make yourself at home” has become a cliché for us. When we say, “Make yourself at home,” it means something different. We really don’t want people who visit our crib to literally make themselves at home. We want them to sit in the room we put them in. Why? It’s probably the only one clean. If they were to literally make themselves at home, they might start moving their stuff in, go through our cupboards, eat all the food in our fridge, walk around in their boxers and jump on our beds.
“Make yourself at home” has become a cliché for us. When we say, “Make yourself at home,” it means something different. We really don’t want people who visit our crib to literally make themselves at home. We want them to sit in the room we put them in. Why? It’s probably the only one clean. If they were to literally make themselves at home, they might start moving their stuff in, go through our cupboards, eat all the food in our fridge, walk around in their boxers and jump on our beds.
We have “OUR SPACE” and we like to keep it that way. We don’t like people occupying or invading areas of our life we’ve deemed “OFF LIMITS.” The sad truth is there even may be doors in your life that you keep closed in an effort to keep God out. But His Word will get you. I’ve been gotten from God’s Word too many times. I could be rude to my wife and later read that husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. And I’m like, “Why, you all up in my business, Word of God?” I could choose to harbor unforgiveness in my heart and I read that I need to forgive as God’s forgiven me, “This is ‘MY SPACE,’ Word of God, back away.” But God’s Word will not stay in one place. His Word invades. It will get into your business. It will call you out. It will occupy your space: For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 (NKJV)
His Word invades because LIFE is getting rid of the DEATH. I’ve heard it said: “Men don’t refuse to read the Bible because it contradicts itself. They don’t read it because it contradicts them.” In other words, as you read it, it’s reading you. Why? It’s alive!
His Word invades because LIFE is getting rid of the DEATH. I’ve heard it said: “Men don’t refuse to read the Bible because it contradicts itself. They don’t read it because it contradicts them.” In other words, as you read it, it’s reading you. Why? It’s alive!
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