Connect Group - Creation

We had Connect Group again. We had a discussion around Genesis Chapter 1.

This is God's grand story and we get to be a part of it. God created all that we see while man was sleeping and when he a woke late on the sixth day, he awoke to a completed world. Then God put him back to sleep and created his mate Eve. We had no input into all that we see ... it was all done without our help. Everything was not created for us, but for God Himself ... and we were able to enjoy it and keep it and watch after it and manage it for Him.

It all came down to the question that they had to answer. Do you want to have a little supporting role in the grand story of God or do you want the starring role in the story of you. They chose to be "like" God and be the stars in their own story and forfeited a part in his grand story. The thing is, even if you build a big story, get people to gather around you and cheer for you, when the last hand clap fades what is left? A small little story that will have an ending and most likely be forgotten way sooner than you would expect. This is the same question that each of us has to ask at some point as well. When do we realize that all fall short of the glory of God? That it would be much better to have the smallest role ... any role in the eternal story of God? That everything else is in vain.

You might say: "Hey man, my story is working out … I had a couple twist and turns … but I fired those people and got new ones. Why would I want to trade the starring role in the story of me … for a supporting role or just any role in the story of God?

There are 3 things I would say.
1. You are already in the story, you might as well surrender and join the story. We at point realize that we can't escape God. That no matter how much we try to have our own story apart from Him, our story is really already a part of His. This is where we realize that everything we do is to shed light on the central character of the story, Jesus. Instead of asking the Lord to make much of me, we say, Lord, help me make much of you.
2. When we do. It brings meaning to everything else in our lives. It doesn’t matter if you are a mother at home with little kids or in a cubicle, then traffic, then a cubicle, traffic, cubicle, traffic, cubicle… Everything starts to actually mean something and have purpose no matter how mundane or important our lives seem to be.
3. It replaces control with rest. If you are starring in your own role, that means that you are directing, writing the script, worried about the plot line, worried about the outcome, trying to hold it all together, you are starring and directing and it is wearing you down. This is what control does to you ... It is just too much. There is something great in giving everything over to God, When we trade our control for rest. We realize: I can’t control the plot, the script, I can’t even control what actors are in the scene, I am just available to Him to be used by Him.

God is in the business of restoring Eden and us back to the way it was meant to be. And that is really it, right. All of everything summed up right in the beginning.