Planting Seeds Day 7: Build and Rebuild

However God calls you to plant seeds for His kingdom, you won’t get far if you haven’t paid attention to the building that is the foundation for your faith:

Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them is like a man building a house who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock. When there was a flood, the river burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly is like a man who built a house on the sand without a foundation. The river burst against it and it immediately collapsed. The ruin of that house was great. Luke 6: 47-49 

Building a house is stressful but can be a rewarding endeavor. A few years ago, as part of our dream together, my husband and I built a beach house to live in for what we thought was the next twenty years: the Surf & Soul Cottage. Little did we know he would die before we lived together in it even two years, but the process helped us build a foundation for our marriage and a foundation for my future life, alone with God. We did an owner build, hiring our own subcontractors, and doing some of the work ourselves. Among many other things, together we painted everything inside and out, and installed floors, cabinets, backsplashes and appliances. We sodded the yard, graveled the driveway and dug in the landscaping. 

Most importantly, we painted the concrete footings and the door lintel with Bible verses that were the true foundation of our marriage together (Psalms 42: 7-8, Ephesians 6:19).

If our life is built on Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11), and we have heard and acted on what He has told us, we will not collapse or be shaken when the flood comes. I miss Steve, but the foundation we built continues to carry our dreams forward. 

Sometimes we don’t get to build from scratch, but are called to rebuild, to repair or to restore. If you have ever watched a reno show on TV, you know the first thing they check is the foundation. And, it can be the costliest part if it wasn’t built correctly. Renovating the pretty parts is so much more enjoyable, but doing the demanding work of making sure your foundation is secure is so much more valuable in the long run.

The repairs cannot begin until the old stuff has been removed or demolished. Demo Day can be fun with a house reno, but probably not so much fun with your life. God’s “Junk Is Us” team might start with that cleansing flood to shake you up and wake you up. He will begin and continue that reno process in your life when you are ready and when you ask Him to. He will make everything new. And it could be new like it never was before! 

What part of your life have you become accustomed to that just needs to be thrown away?

Secure your foundation in Christ:

Analyze what part needs shoring up.

Take steps to rebuild your life and engage with a recovery group or with a group of like-minded Christians.

Identify areas of needed growth and commit to that.

Spend more time in the Bible.

Become part of your church’s foundation by volunteering.

Pray and listen to Him. Ask God to clarify what seeds He wants you to plant with your life.

How might Jesus become the only cornerstone for you (Ephesians 2:20)?

How could this new building serve and support other people who have experienced floods? 

Master Builder, whatever part of my life needs repairing or removing, I commit it to You and Your work. Amen.