A House Divided

While praying this morning this verse came to mind:


Matthew 12:25
Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand."


I've read this verse quite a few times and have heard it preached on multiple occasions as well.


Abraham Lincoln used this verse as the basis of one of his most influential speeches on his way to becoming president. He spoke of our country being divided on the issue of slavery and how, if left unchanged, it would have a  devastating effect on our nation.


Whether it is in business, in ministry, or in an actual household, having the same purpose and intention is extremely important. It is vital for stability as well as growth. 


As I prayed I started to think of what the context of this verse was for in my own life. Was God talking to me about a physical house, apartment, or any building for that matter?


The answer was no, and as I continued to pray I began to see that He was talking about my own life.


1 Corinthians tells us that our bodies are "temples of the holy spirit"


This means that we are far more than flesh and bones.


1 Thessalonians 5:23
Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.


Just as God is three in one (Father, Spirit, Son), we too are made are made up of three parts.


Spirit, Soul, and Body.


Just a brief overview: Our spirits are the part of ourselves that connect with what is unseen. Our Spirit is what connects with God and is the part of us which is renewed when we accept Christ into our hearts.


Our Body is what connects to the world around us. It is comprised of our five senses. It is what sees, hears, smells, touches and tastes. 


Our Soul is the "switch" or "valve" between the two. It is made up of our mind, our will, and our emotions. Our soul is where we make decisions about what we are going to listen to (our spirit or body).


Just as Adam and Eve had a choice to make in the Garden of Eden between the "Tree of Knowledge" and the "Tree of Life," We have a choice to make as well.


Are we going to allow our Spirit, which connects to the spirit of God, to make our decisions,


or are we going to allow our flesh (five senses) to dictate the choices we make?


You see, God created us to be led by His spirit.


Romans 8:6
"The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace"


But far too often, we allow our flesh to make the decisions for us. We use our emotions, past experiences, and what we can see and feel around us, to lead and guide us in our everyday life.


As we see from this verse, there can only be one result from this way of thinking, and that is death.


We need to bring ourselves into the correct alignment. Alignment is when His Spirit feeding is our spirit, bringing our mind, will, and emotions into submission to our Creator. 


When we allow ourselves to be governed by anything other than His Spirit, we become a house divided against itself, unable to stand firmly in who we were created to be. We are unable to grow and fulfill His purpose for our lives. 


In many cases, being disconnected hinders us from seeing the true power of who He is and made us to be, and what is needed to bring the change in our lives that we so desire.


Do you have areas in your life that seem to be left unchanged? Do you have issues that seem to reoccur time and time again?


Maybe it is time to see if there is a division in what you think about the situation and what God is truly saying to you in the midst of it.


If there are two different points of view, that division may be exactly what is preventing you from "standing" in the place God has for you.


think about it.