Good Monday to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Have you ever lived in a place where lots of construction is happening around you, both new homes and apartment buildings, or perhaps large office or manufacturing buildings?
Modern day construction on a large scale is an amazing thing to watch, isn’t it? My wife and I currently live near a huge housing development with hundreds of new homes under construction all the time. We’ve watched them clear the land, put in new roads, dig the trenches and put in all the underground utilities and water management systems. Then finally the house foundations, then the concrete floors, the walls, the roof, the doors, the windows and finally all the interior work, exterior painting and landscaping. Soon there are automobiles parked in the driveways, BBQ grills on the patios, and people going in and out of their homes, as a community is developed. It’s an amazing process and we find it exciting to watch.
But what does this process look like when God is doing construction, spiritually building up a person or a group of people? Let’s rejoin Paul for he’s writing about this in his first letter to the Christians in Corinth. Paul was describing the complimentary but different work he and Apollos had accomplished in Corinth which was resulting in an ‘ekklesia’, a group of Jesus redeemed people in that city. I understand that as I watch the construction near us. The roofers do a very different work from the masons or the electricians, but all are essential in building a good solid home. Paul writes: “For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are… God’s building. By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any solid foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 3:10,11)
Paul is reminding them that when he came to Corinth, and proclaimed the story of Jesus and His Gospel, it was the first time Corinth had heard these powerful spiritual truths of God. Paul was laying a spiritual foundation. As the people decided Paul’s teachings were true and the people began putting their faith and trust in Jesus, their lives began to change spiritually.
The myths and distorted views of God and strange spiritual beliefs they had were challenged by God’s truth. They knew they could not BOTH hold on to their old, distorted views, while at the same time embracing the Jesus and Gospel Paul was proclaiming.
Paul made it clear TRUTH is essential in spiritual construction. The foundation upon which our lives are built must be the truth about WHO Jesus is, God the Son, and WHAT Jesus both taught and accomplished when He was here on earth. With a solid life foundation of an authentic and dynamic relationship with Jesus, any person has great potential for investing their life, following God’s guidance, to make a significant difference in our world. That thought is powerful and causes us each to ask some very important questions of ourselves:
1. What are my highest values in life and how do those values guide my life choices?
2. What has been my life purpose and pursuit, thus far in my life?
3. What am I accomplishing with my lifetime, talents and efforts which will be my life legacy when I come to the end of my life?
May I invite us all to pause and ponder those three questions before we hear Paul’s next very challenging words?
Now, with those three questions in your mind, listen to Paul’s next words: “If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is , because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved – even though only as one escaping through the flames.” (1 Corinthians 3:12-15) Oh my, so many important things in these words about how we live our lives. As I watch the house construction near me, there are some people on the work site almost every day who have a special job. These are inspectors checking to see that every phase of the building work is being done well so the house will be safe and strong when completed.
Can you make the application to how you and I are building our lives? Are we inspecting often? Inspecting the information which we are allowing to shape our attitudes, our beliefs, our decisions? Are we inspecting our choices to see if they are consistent with the values God wants us to have? Are we inspecting the results of our actions? Do you see that one of the biggest mistakes a person can make is living their life WITHOUT self-evaluation?
But do you also agree we all have blind spots when looking at ourselves? We don’t see what others see. That’s why the construction inspector is NOT the architect and he’s not the general contractor and he’s not the mason nor the roofer nor the plumber. The inspector must be someone looking at the construction with an objective eye looking for mistakes or shortcuts which will risk the integrity of the house! So, who are those people you have invited into your life who will point out the flaws in your life, the errors in your judgment, the shortcuts you are trying to take in your life? And how do you respond when these inspectors point out something in your attitudes, or your words, or your choices or actions which is contrary to the person you really want to be?
Do they help you see how those things could ruin your reputation, undermine your integrity? I think we should pause and reflect right here my friends, and tomorrow we’ll come back and dig deeply into those words Paul wrote. For today, after your reflection on what I’ve written, perhaps you and I should text or call or write one or two of those people who are like construction inspectors in our lives, and thank them, encourage them to keep up their good work of helping us see our deficiencies. Maybe we should talk to God about what some of those deficiencies are?
There’s a very special song that speaks to us about evaluating how we are building our lives. It seems to fit so well right here, and I’ll be here waiting for you tomorrow, my friends.
Today’s Scripture is 1 Cor. 3:10-15.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.