It's Inside You

We spend a lot of time looking around us for our purpose from God.

When what He has for us, is already inside us.

We all know the "Creation Story" from Genesis. "In the beginning...." God spent six days making the heavens, the earth, all of its oceans and animals, then Adam, and later Eve. When I think about this story, I don't just think about how God created the first family.

In this story God also created man's first purpose.

God spent 6 days creating and a day in rest. Not because He was tired, but because what He did was "good." (This is a Word in itself). The God of all things did not stop at PERFECTION. He stopped at "good." But I'll lean on that later :)

Genesis 1:26 "Then God said, "Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us..." Verse 27 says, "So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male an female he created them." I don't believe the Bible repeats itself for no reason. God knows His children often need gentle reminders that what He does is on purpose and nothing created is on accident. Between these two scriptures alone, the Word repeats itself THREE TIMES. "in [His] image" we were created. And we were "good."

What I think we miss is the Bible completes Chapter 1 of Genesis with creation, then rewinds and goes into more detail in Chapter Two. We already established God created man and woman on the sixth day. But as we go deeper, we realize God did not feel the day was complete until Adam had more. HE didn't let the sun go down, nor did he declare His creations "good" until they were formed one after the other.

Genesis 2:7 continues, " Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils and the man became a living person." At this point, Adam was whole. He was the embodiment of the breath of God. The Spirit of the Lord was IN HIM, but at this point he was not considered "good."

So God can be in us, we can be whole - or so it seems. We can have everything we think we need to function, and still not be GOOD!

As we continue in Chapter Two, as Adam is walking around he is given provisions and instructions. Isn't it funny how God will never give us anything without direction?

Chapter 2 has something else in it I think many people miss. Genesis 2:18-19, "Then the Lord God said, 'It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is just right for him. So the Lord God formed from the ground.." (drum roll please) "...all the wild animals and all the birds of the sky."

God identified Adam was not good by himself, but after this thought the Lord did not immediately give him a partner... He gave him a job. He created... from the dust... (in the same manner of creation Adam was formed) birds and livestock for Adam to name. After the animals were created. God still felt there wasn't a good enough helper for him.

So before he was "good" he still had a task. I'm not sure who this speaks to. But sometimes God will see you in your season and give you something else to do. It will seem like it has nothing to do with what you are lacking. But it's still a task He is trusting you to do. And it has to be done, BY YOU... Alone.

Something else to take away from this, which may seem menial... "God didn't create dog to be 'man's best friend." Though animals were created before Eve, they still weren't "good" enough. For those of us who are introverted and feel we can substitute human interaction with a pet. That wasn't Gods plan on the 6th day of creation. And it isn't his plan for you now. You're dog or cat, snake... whatever... is cute.. but it is NOT your solution to being social, or carrying out your purpose. :)

Genesis 2:21 "So the Lord caused the man to fall into a deep sleep. While the man slept, the Lord God took out one of the man's ribs and closed up the opening." Genesis 2:22 "Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib, and he brought her to the man." The rest of Chapter Two is often used as the close of wedding ceremonies, as it continues on about how man leaves his mother to join his wife and blah blah blah... but there's something else to this. There's so much more than companionship and relationship in this message from God.

God created Adam... from dust. When God saw Adam was alone, He then made animals for him.. from dust. But for Adam to be "good" and in order for day six to end.. God had to bring something out of ADAM.

Let's all take a second to remember one thing: God is GOD. He could have made Eve from dust... from the ocean.. She could have been created like the "Birth of Venus" painting, out of the half shell of a seashell. Eve could have literally been made of ANYTHING. But she came from the very thing God just said was "NOT GOOD!!"

What does this mean?

It's possible the very thing you are waiting on God to create in your life was already IN YOU. Let's revisit Chapter 2...

1. God put Adam to sleep.

How productive are you sleeping? Seriously... we arent. At all. God had to wait for/create a moment in Adam's life.. when NOTHING ELSE COULD HAPPEN to put him in a situation to be blessed.

Maybe God is waiting on you to STOP what you are doing so He can bless you! Maybe... Are you.... too busy for God!? Maybe that moment of isolation... is God working. Maybe your recent unemployment... is God working. That red light that takes five seconds too long when you are running late to get your kids, is GOD WORKING.. God needs you to BE STILL so He can move!

2. God used a rib

Your ribs serve a purpose. To protect. They hold your lungs, your heart, and they are designed in connection to your spine. We often talk about how men are designed to protect women, yet a woman was formed using the one part of the body that protects several vital organs. I'm not going to go into detail about gender roles, but I do feel Adam was "not good" because the "helper" God was seeking for him was someone to help him protect his heart. God created Adam, gave him provision, then gave him instruction, then gave him a HELPER.

This was the first example that we cannot live a life following God without help. EVEN JESUS HAD HELPERS and He was LITERALLY God on earth! I dont think it's a coincidence that the rib is made of 12 paired bones and Jesus had TWELVE disciples. Outside of Jesus, each disciple had TWELVE accountability partners (including Jesus). I'm not trying to reach, but once again.. I don't believe the Bible has coincidences.

Once again...the rib. Not the foot. Not ear cartilage (which is what doctors use when the rib isn't good enough). She was good enough. What was inside Adam ALREADY.. was good ENOUGH.

But let's take a step back for number 3.

3. Eve came from a removal.

God had to remove the rib to create a whole new creation.

Three is a tri-fold revelation.. DONT MISS THIS...

3a. In order for God to give you something new, He may need to take out something you thought you needed. But the awesome thing is, what God takes away, He renews. What we surrender, He multiplies. There are 206 bones in the human body. God took ONE and made a whole new set of 206! This is why we cannot afford to be selfish. If you had 200 dollars and I asked you for one. (But you ONLY HAD 206 dollars. You might not want to be left with 205 if you dont know where your next check is coming from. But if you knew that ONE dollar would result in DOUBLING your account. You'd give it gladly.

3b. Eve was not given to Adam until his previous wound was healed. Dont miss this. Because what I'm saying is not merely relational. I don't mean, "you wont get a new boyfriend or girlfriend until you are over your last one." I'm saying "GOD WONT BLESS YOUR MESS." Eve was not given to Adam as he was bruised and bloody. She was not put on earth to nurse or heal him. That was God's doing. We can't keep inviting people into a mess they didn't make and expect them to put our pieces together.

We have to stop waiting on another person to be our first aid. The only person who can heal us is the person who created us. God did not take out the rib and say, "Adam.. let me know when that's better.. I got something for you. Hit me up later." No. Remember ADAM WAS STILL. This gave God the opportunity and time to do an entire work in Him. In Adam's sleep, he was in a state of surrender. You can't surrender time you don't set aside.

3c. Did I mention she was made from Adam's rib? Even with only one man on earth, God knew the heart of all mankind. We value what is ours. In Genesis 2:23 Adam woke up from his sleep and said, "At last!!" MIND YOU.. This was all in one day. This man woke up like he'd been waiting for Eve his whole life... Wait... Technically.. He was :) But he continued to say "Flesh from my flesh." I don't know about you, but when something is MINE, I take care of it.

I love my friends and I care about their kids. But my daughter... "flesh of MY flesh" I'm going to love her like no other! Cause she's mine! And I came to a real-realization when she was born. Because she was from me.. I had to love ME. I had to get over every insecurity I had because she came from me. I can't walk around calling myself "ugly." She got some of her looks from me. I can go around letting people treat me any old way, she's gonna learn that. "I can't treat my mom badly, cause I want her to respect me.

Don't get this confused. Once again. This is NOT a relationship sermon. I'm not telling all the men to go find their rib. I'm telling all of us to find WHAT GOD PUT IN US... Find what God won't let the sun set on THIS DAY without pulling out of you. Your rib is your purpose.

When Chapter two of Genesis (Gen 2:24" concludes, talking about how " ' this explains' why a man leaves his mother and father.." I dont believe this is entirely about leaving your mother to find your wife/husband. I think this is about GROWING UP and being "united" with your purpose.

It's in you.