DOES JESUS LIVE IN YOUR GUEST ROOM

Ephesians 3:16-17a

I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith.

                This past weekend we stayed overnight with some friends in their guest room. I always feel a little self-conscious when we stay in someone else’s house. I am never quite sure how much liberty I can take. Can I hang my clothes in the closet or do I need to drape them over the chair? Which bathroom should I use? Will I disturb others if I get up in the middle of the night? How early can I get up and use the shower? Will I be in our host’s way in the morning? I always appreciate it when someone graciously allows us to stay with them, but it is not like being at home.

                Staying in someone’s guest room for a night or two is usually a positive experience. Living in someone’s guest room is a different matter. After a while, the dynamics in the house will begin to change. On one of our trips to Duluth, we visited Glensheen, an old stately house, which is open to the public. In the guest bedrooms there are carved pineapples on the corners of the headboards above the beds. In days gone by, pineapples were a sign of hospitality. If a guest overstayed their welcome, the pineapples would be removed from the headboard; a subtle hint that it was time for the guest to leave.

                On Sunday, I was reminded of a classic little book called “My Heart, Christ’s Home.” As the pastor was explaining the booklet, I began to wonder if we ask Jesus to live in the guest room of our heart. When we first encounter Jesus, we are excited to invite Him into our life. We are eager to get to know Jesus. But too often, we confine Jesus to the guest room of our life. That usually takes the form of Sunday morning worship. We are content to allow Jesus to live in that small space, but we are reluctant to allow Him access to the rest of our “house”.

                Revelation 3:20 is a classic passage that is often used to call people to faith in Christ. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me. The irony of this passage is that it was written to believers; the church in Laodicea to be exact. When Jesus asks for entry into our life, He does is not asking to use our guest room. He is asking to take up residence in our life; our whole life.  He wants free access to our work life, our home life, our social life, our church life, our “private” life, our entire life. In Jesus day, to eat with someone was a very significant event. It represented acceptance and inclusion. You didn’t share a meal with a casual acquaintance. Jesus doesn’t want to be a guest in our life, He wants to be a regular part of our life. He is also inviting us to be a regular part of His life.

                We get the dynamics wrong when we think that we are inviting Jesus to become a part of our family. The reality is that He is inviting us to become a part of His family. He is the real host. In essence, He is inviting us to exchange our one room cabin for a place in His mansion. Instead of asking to temporarily use our guest room, Jesus is inviting us to sell our house and move in with Him.

                Does Jesus live in my guest room? It is a question each of us should carefully consider.