Do you ever feel like you’re just marking time in life? How about in your spiritual development? I got to thinking about that this morning as I continued my journey through 1 and 2 Chronicles.

2 Chron 24:4 Now it happened after this that Joash set his heart on repairing the house of the Lord.

As the king surveyed the “house of God” he observed the sad state that it had fallen into and he made the commitment to see it restored to its original condition before it was allowed to house and serve wooden images and idols, which had incurred the wrath of God upon Judah and Jerusalem. It reminded me of how the bride of Christ can allow her “temple” to fall into disrepair. Looking at the guy trying to climb up the down escalator is the picture the Holy Spirit gave me.

Our spirituality is really “down to earth” as much as it is in “the heavenlies.” Our Temple of the Holy Spirit is concerned with repairs and renovations just like the Temple was in the Old Testament; it also constantly needs renovation and strengthening…

 2 Chron 24:13 So the workman labored, and the work was completed by them; they restored the house of God to its original condition and reinforced it.

And that is true for the bride today. Everything in the spiritual realm is at one time “new” to us, but it can eventually become “old.” What is at one time very “solid” can easily become “wobbly and unstable” and in need of strengthening. And so the picture…

If we are to maintain our spirituality (our practical spirituality), we are like the guy going up the down escalator. We have three options to choose from: we can mark time where we are, we can allow the downward movement of the world to drag us along, or we can move upward with the Spirit. Sadly, many by default choose one of  the first two options. For us there can truly only be one option.

If we are the “living stones” of the spiritual temple (1 Pet 2:5), then we also need to refurbish and renovate ourselves and each other on a regular basis. We need to step up our effort and move up the down staircase, and that means “extra effort” on our part. For Joash, it literally meant a new broom to begin the implementation of a fresh commitment to God… what was wrong had to be followed by what was right in the eyes of the Lord (24:2). 

And Joash also set before us what the bride is to do after she “renovates” and “strengthens” her temple…

2 Chron 24:14b … And they offered burnt offerings in the house of the Lord continually all the days of Jehoiada [the chief priest during the reign of Joash)

They followed their renovation with “daily” worship to ensure that the Temple would not fall into disrepair.

Sounds like a sound plan to me. We just need to make sure that we ar working at continually making progress “up the down staircase” and avoid getting stuck in a spiritual rut… a rut that often leads to a downward slide!