Building for the storms.

My late father spent the early part of his adult working life in the building trade.  Accordingly, as a young boy, I spent a lot of my Saturdays, and my school holidays, around building sites (‘Health & Safety’ hadn’t yet been invented!).

Perhaps that’s why I appreciate this parable of Jesus.  Once again, it is a well-known one, and it concerns two builders.  You’ll find it in Matt.7.

One of these builders had been listening to his Techy Ed teacher.  When he decided to build a house, he made sure that he had good solid foundations.  He dug right down until he hit bedrock.  Then, and only then, did he begin to erect his house.

The other man was what might be called, nowadays, a bit of a cowboy.  He knew the shortcuts; he knew where he could get materials at the ‘right’ price – albeit of an inferior quality; he was more interested in ease and speed than in durability.

From the outside, it is true, each house looked as good as the other.  Then the storms came.  Violent storms.  The wind howled; the rain lashed against the houses; the nearby river overflowed its banks. 

One house stood – taking all that the elements could throw at it; the other collapsed.  You don’t need me to tell you which was which!

Life can be like that – your life, and mine.  Each of us, whether or not we realise it, is in the process of building – building a life.  Some of us have been at it for years; some are only digging for the foundations.  However, whether a building of bricks and mortar, or a life, we need a good foundation.  Only if we have such a foundation will we be able to withstand the storms of life – those times when it seems that the whole world is against us; when we quickly reach the end of our tether; when there is no light visible at the end of the tunnel.

Disciples of that same Jesus Who first told that story claim that, in Him, they have a solid foundation.  Being His follower doesn’t mean that we avoid difficulty.  Indeed, for those in more than fifty countries around the world, declaring one’s discipleship is paramount to asking for trouble – persecution, imprisonment, torture, death.  However, although He never promised that His followers would spend their lives lying on a bed of roses, He did promise that He would be with them – and that makes all the difference!

Who is at your side when the storms of life rage?  I commend Jesus to you.

Building Your Home

A great and wise man once called one of his workmen to him saying, "Go into the far country and build for me a house. The decisions of planning and of actual construction will be yours, but remember, I shall come to accept your work for a very special friend of mine."

And so the workman departed with a light heart for his field of labour. Material of all kinds was plentiful here, but the workman had a mind of his own. "Surely," he thought, "I know my business. I can use a bit of inferior material here, and cheat on my workmanship a little there, and still make the finished work look good. Only I will know that what I have built has weaknesses."

And so, at last the work was completed and the workman reported back to the great and wise man. "Very good," he said. "Now you remember that I wanted you to use only the finest materials and craftsmanship in this house because I wanted to make present of it? My friend, you are the one I had you build it for. It is all yours."

How much like us. We come to earth as strangers. We have free will. We may build our lives as we like. But on "that Day" each of us will receive what (s)he has built for an eternal home and habitation.

Jesus said:"Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it." (Matt 7:24-27; RSV).

For those of us who own the Lord Jesus as our personal Saviour, Paul has this to say: "According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and another man is building upon it. Let each man take care how he builds upon it.  For no other foundation can any one lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.  Now if any one builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay , straw - each man's work will become manifest; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work which any man has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If any man's work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.
Do you not know that you are God's temple and that God's Spirit dwells in you? If any one destroys God's temple, God will destroy him. For God's temple is holy, and that temple you are." (I Cor 3:10-17; RSV).

Be careful how, and what, you build!