Grand Designs

'No-one can lay any other foundation than the one we already have -Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials -gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on judgement day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person's work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames'. 1 Corinthians 3: 11-15

What is the foundation we build our lives upon? It's Jesus -his grace to us in relationship, in freedom and in securing our identity with our Father. God is very concerned that we build on the right foundations. Sometimes our foundations are a bit shaky, sometimes we’re not on solid ground and maybe we haven’t realized. Fear, insecurity, wrong identity, misunderstanding the character of God, striving for acceptance, achievement and status in places other than our Father – all of these things need to be dug out and rebuilt on truth to make sure our foundations are strong, secure and will stand the test of time.

But God is also bothered about how we then build on that foundation.

This little passage from 1 Corinthians makes it clear that He puts value on how and what we build our lives with. Gold, silver and jewels indicate that there are things worth building that are of great value in the Kingdom. But it also suggests that there are things we can build that are of no eternal value and which will be burned up. The Bible is absolutely clear in this passage and in other places that what we do cannot earn us salvation -that is only possible through grace - but it seems that God does have an agenda for how we live our lives once we are in relationship with Him. So my question is, what are you building with?

How are you building the things of God and His Kingdom in your life, your family, your community, your workplace?

I'm not sure there is a list anywhere of what activities God does or does not consider valuable. I do think that the Bible makes it clear of one thing that is important, and that is LOVE. 'The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love' (Galatians 5:6); 'These three things will last forever -faith, hope, and love -and the greatest of these is love.' (1 Corinthians 13:13)

Love. Does your community, your ministry, your daily interaction with people ooze love? How is our motivation? Are we motivated by wanting success, by wanting influence or power, by wanting to look good in other people’s eyes, even wanting to achieve great things for the Kingdom? Or is our primary motivation to love the last, the least and the lost? In everything we do? It’s tough! Ask the Holy Spirit to help you examine your motives today in what you’re building.

Whatever you do, however you build, build it with love and I reckon you can't go far wrong.