November 4 2011

Build It
 
Reading: I Corinthians 3:12-15, 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.

Can you imagine being on a construction team that will be competing against another team to win a multi-million dollar project to build a bridge? The project manager gets up in front of both teams and states that the competition is simple, you have to build a model bridge that is 20 feet long and 5 feet high that can hold a military grade tank within a specified period of time. You have been given a huge variety of materials from which to choose. As your team begins working hard with steal and concrete, members from the other team come over and ask if you are planning to use your cardboard. With a look of confusion, you give them permission to take it all. A little while later, they ask for your team’s scotch tape, then your pile of newspaper. Your curiosity got the best of you so you go and look at their project. You can hardly contain your laughter and your excitement that winning the project will be easy, since they have built their entire bridge out of cardboard, tape and newspaper. Do you really think at any point you would be upset that they took any of those products away from your team?... absolutely not… because that wasn’t even important to complete the task. You can’t even believe that it was important to them for the project. Men, unfortunately, we look at other things of this world and perceive them as important for our life project. We get upset that the world is taking our flimsy things away from us that not only doesn’t help the building of our life project but actually will hurt the strength of it.

What flimsy materials have you been using lately to build the structure of your life?

How can you get back to simply using the materials that will last and endure?

End of the Day Review
  
How were you able to refocus on the building materials in your life that will last?
  
Were you able to get rid of the flimsy material that’s hurting your structure? And, how were you able to incorporate the lasting material today?