Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain.
Psalm 127:1 (NIV)
As I’ve mentioned before, my wife and I are compulsive watchers of the HGTV (Home and Garden Television) network.
The other night we saw a rerun of Holmes Makes It Right that gave me nightmares! If you haven’t seen it, the show stars Mike Holmes, a veteran contractor and home inspector, who helps homeowners fix major issues with their properties.
On most episodes Mike runs into even greater difficulties than expected. Invariably, it turns out an unqualified person did work on the property that was not up “to code.” Such shoddy craftsmanship poses a hazard–hidden inside walls or under floors for years. “Just one spark,” says a scowling Mike, “and the whole house could have been ruined.”
Heaven has a reality show as well. It’s called, Unless the Lord Builds the House. On the show, God, the veteran creator and life inspector, helps people fix major issues with their lives. Invariably, His clients find more personal problems than expected. The Lord, however, is not surprised. The work was not done to Biblical code and has been a hazard–hidden inside hearts and minds for years. “Just one prayer,” says a smiling creator, “and your whole house can be saved.”
The apostle Paul was also a builder, of sorts. He told the Christians at Corinth they were “God’s building,” and that Jesus Christ was the foundation– (1 Corinthians 3:9b,11)
He also admonished them to be careful about their choice of building materials. The Corinthians could build on the foundation of Christ with high quality items (gold, silver and precious stones) or inferior items (wood, hay and straw). And the quality of each believer’s work would be tested by God on Judgment Day–with 🔥 FIRE!🔥– (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).
This is where my nightmare comes in. After watching Mike find the hidden dangers caused by inferior craftsmanship, I dreamed that night about my own house–with gaping holes in the brick veneer. I woke up just after a home inspector told me the damage was due to substandard building techniques.
Of course, in my waking hours, I made the connection –remembering Paul’s builder analogy–and thought about my own spiritual house.
Yes, the Lord builds the house, but you and I have a hand in it too.
May we be competent craftsmen.
Photo by Nick van den Berg on Unsplash
Some material in this post was reused from Daddy Knows which originally published on June 16, 2019.
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