The Spirit of Place
The environment that we grow up in has a bearing on who we are. It helps shape our outward view of the world and our inward view of who we are. Places have different characteristics which become a part of us. It is a normal occurrence. This being so, it makes sense for us to examine our environment and be aware of its effects on our spiritual development.
An old saying that is not attributable to any person, but has developed over time by experience is: “The distinctiveness of a place is its character.” If we think about this from a biblical perspective, we can easily see the truth of that statement.
When God created mankind, the environment was intended to have a deep impact upon him. It was the Garden of Eden. It was a perfect environment for absorbing and thus duplicating God’s character. The place and its qualities were designed to contribute to shaping man in the image of God.
As Solomon constructed the original temple, the intent was clear – God intended to dwell with His people (1 Kings 6:13). The environment of the temple connected God’s dwelling place in heaven with a presence among His people on earth (2 Chronicles 29-33). Thus, the character of God was set amongst men as an example of what God intended for man to become. There are endless examples of the opposite happening when man surrounded himself with evil and was led astray.
In New Testament times we see that same thing, but on a spiritual level. The place that we find the Church to be in is critical for the development of the sons of God. John said that “No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him, and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit” (1 John 4:12-13). This is more practical than it might at first appear.
Our place is determined by a different mind – a spirit-led mind. We see a different place than most people do. Our environment is not of this world. The character of our daily place is the character of God Himself “… because as He is, so are we in this world” (verse 17). The distinctiveness of our place is God’s character.
The interactions between people and their place play a major part in who they are. If we allow the worldly environment to play a more dominant role in our lives, then we are missing a vital element in our spiritual growth and development. The world is Satan’s environment, and Christ warned the Church about this environment: “I know your works, and where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is …” (Revelation 2:13).
We need to be carefully developing a distinctive character in a very distinctive “place.”
Brian Orchard
