Recently the leadership at our church has been praying for a building space. Currently, we meet for worship at a hotel on Sunday mornings. As we outgrow this space, we’ve been looking for the next location where we can meet.

We came across this great office building that houses the company that created the mechanical liver (we’re in Berkeley, California). However, the entire upstairs is open which would make a great meeting space for worship and other activities. It has been vacant for a while and there are no takers, so the realtor suggested we offer a fraction of what they’re originally asking.

So we did…

Our realtor met with the owner to see if he would entertain our almost offensive offer. In the meantime, I’ve been praying that we would get this. Have you ever prayed that you would get something? Or have you even been in the trading business with God?

“God, if you do this, then I will…(fill in the blank).”

But what if favor doesn’t look exactly like we think it will?

What if what we see as advancing the Kingdom of God with a good cause and pure motives is something that could wound or delay it?

What if we don’t know what’s best?

It’s funny how sometimes God opens your eyes to the bigger picture when you pray.

Buildings for worship are a necessity and are dangerous. They are necessary because people need a place and a means for coming before God to worship Him. Buildings can be dangerous because no institution can claim to house God.

Have you ever thought you knew what was best and because you were a child of God you thought that you were entitled to it? This is called ‘Name it—Claim it’ theology.

And if this is true, then it’s true that the homeless guy that sleeps in the alley at the bottom of the building we’re asking for did something to deserve to be homeless. His sin is so bad he’s earned his spot in society.

Solomon, at the dedication of the first temple ever, almost apologizes to God, whom neither heaven nor earth can contain.

In time people give more authority to ministers at the temple than their character can handle. This is a place where servants become officials and ministers become religious authorities.

Gradually, a beautiful place and its witness to God can lose its way.

Sometimes the favor that we can receive from God can rob us of our innocence.

And if that’s the case, we don’t need this building. It’s not failure that scares me; it’s success. Success is so much more difficult to manage than failure. Failure drives us to our knees and helps us understand we need something or someone more. Success can, overtime, drive the illusion that we did it all by ourselves.

The owner accepted our offer.

We have a new place to worship God.

The important thing is to remember where it came from.

May you have just enough failure in your life to make you truly successful.