Working On A Building

Lately I have been watching some folks build a building. They started with the foundation and then build outwards. These men have been diligently working on this building now for several weeks and have now got it all framed in and to me it looks quite ugly because what I am looking at is the strength of the building and not the beauty.

 We all know that when the building crew finishes, then the exterior guys will show up to finish what they call the facade. The exterior, what we all will look at and say oh that is a pretty building. After that facade goes up we will no longer be able to see what is on the inside, the strength that makes the building be able to withstand hard storms and the day to day beating of the sun and the wind. We don't see that part because it has now been covered up with the pretty part, the part that everyone wants to see.

Isn't that the way it is in life as well? People want to look on the outside of a strong person and say oh wow! she really has it together, she never seems to sweat or have hard times and if he/she does they really are STRONG!!! That is because they are just looking on the outside, they don't understand what has been built in, on the inside the strength that only comes from the maker, the original designer, the Holy Spirit of God that builds that foundation of truth upon the word of the living God. The word tells us that if the Lord isn't building the house then the ones that are building it are laboring in vain. To be able to withstand the storms of life and to be able to bear good fruit for the Lord, I must allow Him to build my house. Allow Him to furnish it as He sees fit that will bring the most honor and glory to Him.

I'm not too prideful to admit that although I had a really good foundation from Him, I have tried in the past to build my house and do it my way and then when the storms came, it wasn't a pretty sight. He has even had to send in the demolition crew on me a couple of times and tear the building all the way down to the foundation and start back over again. I believe the old-timers called that going back and doing your first works again. Nevertheless now I am allowing Him to build my building inside and out. These days I am for sure more concerned with the fruit that I bear more than I am about the gifts that He gives. I am working on cultivating as much good fruit for Him as I can. I want Him to look at my house and say well built and Wow look at all of those fruit trees!

There's an old bluegrass song called working on a building and I have sang it many many times and loved it all of these years and although at times it may seem repetitious, if you let it minister to you, you will be able to understand that the old timey folks sure had a much better grip on this building thing than we seem to today. Check out this version from YouTube:  Bill Monroe from back in the day.          https://youtu.be/wM3GICtYNAo  I pray today as you are working on your building for the Lord that you consider the fruit trees out front in the yard. They sure do get a whole lot of attention to folks and make them want to work on their building too.