I’ve never been much of a builder. I like the concept of taking things from scratch and creating a structure, but I just don’t have the eye to see what could be and how to go about creating it. I’m not sure why – both my sister and my dad have this engineering bent. I, however, would just rather someone else do the work and I’ll enjoy its benefits.
Although I’m not much of a builder, it doesn’t mean I don’t build things. After all, to some extent we’re all about the process of creation. We build relationships, we make plans for the future, and we create the principles by which we are to live by. These may not be structures that we can reside in, but they definitely are required for living.
As we build though, its important that we take account of what we are establishing. We want to make sure that we are creating that which will last; not something that’s easily demolished. We also want to know what our objective is for our edifice; is it going to provide shelter and residence or will it be a structure for learning and eduction? The answers will determine how we go about completing our tasks.
James 5:8b says “Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (ESV). As we ponder this passage we realize that we are to be preparing our hearts to anticipate the Lord’s return. What we invest in, the materials that we ingest, should work towards an establishment of eager expectation in seeing our Savior. This goes beyond just “living each day as it may be your last” – it means actively working to build your heart to receive the coming King.
Its easy to get caught up in building other things. There are so many distractions and opportunities for building that which is easily demolished. Maybe if we focused a little bit more on establishing hearts expecting Christ’s return, the things that detract from this purpose would cease to be of concern.