Build

I am drawn in by the architects ‘vision’, captivated by how the structures get from paper to a habitable dwelling. As I watched one of these shows the other day, I began to think about how this process works for us in our journey of faith.  

We have the blueprint for building in the palm of our hand. The Word of God that instructs, corrects and edifies. This is the ultimate guide for how to build well; for building things that will last far into the future, into eternity itself. 

Yet so often we ignore the instruction given by the Master Architect and make decisions that contradict His blueprint. In many ways, we are saying that we know better. I’m not sure we would as quickly dismiss the expertise of our architect when it came to a physical building. It’s like swapping the crafted, detailed plan for a picture of a house drawn by a child.  

If we handed our contractors a scruffily drawn picture and asked them to build that, they would think we were crazy. In the natural, we would never do that. We understand our limitations and submit to the expertise and authority of those trained in the trades we are enlisting to build the house.  

All that said, none of it truly matters if the plans aren’t right first. Our beautiful ideas of what we are trying to build don’t matter at all if we build in our own strength. In Psalm 127 the bible puts it like this: 

“Unless the Lord builds the house, the labourers labour in vain” 

We can build whatever we like. We can choose to listen to God’s design, His blueprint, or we can push on with our own. Whatever structure we end up constructing, whatever legacy we build, it will be tested in light of Eternity. We are told that those things we build will be tested with fire. The things built with earthly materials will burn to nothing, however beautiful and pleasing they may be to the eye.    

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to build in vain. I don’t want the sum of my life here on earth to become ashes in light of the eternal things. Unless the Lord builds, our efforts amount to nothing.  

I want to encourage you to seek again the Master Builder. Lean in and listen to His voice as He instructs and adjusts the things in our lives that need to align to His plans and purposes for us – His blueprint for this life. It may not look like how we think, but His design for us is perfect. It’s exactly what we need. It is custom built for us to live in, to dwell. When we submit to the expertise of our architect, God, our building will never be in vain.  

Bless you.

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