Keys?

“You are not your own; you were bought with a price.” — 1 Corinthians 6:19–20

Most of us like the idea of Jesus being part of our lives. We just prefer to decide which part.

Sunday morning? Certainly. The hospital waiting room? Absolutely. The family argument? Well, let's not get carried away.

We want Jesus to have a room in our house. But He wants the keys. We are happy to invite him in. We even have a nice room picked out for him. A comfortable chair, a Bible on the table, and perhaps a picture of the Last Supper on the wall. We visit him on Sunday mornings, stop by when life gets difficult, and occasionally ask him for advice. But the rest of the house?

Well, that is our business.

There are rooms we would rather keep locked. The room where we store our grudges. The closet where we hide our sins. The office where we make our plans without consulting him.

But Jesus did not come to be our houseguest. He came to be our Lord.

Paul writes, “You are not your own.” The rooms of our lives belong to the one who redeemed them. That is not a threat. It is the good news of belonging. Jesus did not rent us for a few hours on Sunday. He bought us with his own blood. We belong to him, body and soul.

And that changes things. It especially changes the way we think about hard times. We ask, “Lord, why is this happening to me?” That is an honest question. The Psalms are full of it. But faith dares to ask another: “Lord, how will you meet me here, and how can you use even this?”

God does not enjoy our pain. He is not standing over us with a hammer, looking for something to break. Look at Jesus. The hands that reach for us are pierced hands. He knows what it is to suffer. He has walked the road of grief before us.

And because we belong to him, even our wounds need not be wasted.

The person who has known loss can sit beside someone who is grieving. The one who has received mercy can offer mercy. The believer who has been carried through dark days can tell another tired soul, “Hold on. Christ is still here.”

Our lives are not private property. They are places where the grace of God can pass through us to someone else. So bring Jesus the whole life. Every room. Not just the polished parts. Give him the fear, the disappointment, the questions, and the scars.

After all, if you belong to the One who came out of the grave, what part of your life is beyond his reach?

Have a great week!

-Pastor Corey