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End of Construction
End of Construction
“But let each man take heed how he buildeth thereon…” (1 Corinthians 3:10)
After going through a construction zone, a lady one time saw a sign: “End of Construction—Thank you for your patience.” She told the people in the car with her she wanted those words embedded on her gravestone. Those words truly describe every Christian. We are all building our lives on the foundation laid by Jesus Christ. The life of a Christian cannot be constructed without Christ as the foundation. The name Christian represents the person who shed the blood and made the way for us.
The Corinthian Christians had trouble with carnal-mindedness (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). Growing in Christ was impossible with that kind of mind. A Christian’s conviction in Christ is not only the foundation of one’s life, it provides a stable, secure, and everlasting life. Such a life is possible by anchoring our soul into the promises Christ has made and hold to the instructions He gives to build our life (John 6:68).
How long will it take to build our life in Christ? All our life! It is not like a highway or house where we know the construction will end at some point and the project is complete. The life of a Christian is an ongoing building project. “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit” (Jude 20). Christians never reach the point of reading the sign “End of Construction”. Therefore patience is needed as we build our life upon the things Colossians 3:12-15 says must be placed into constructing a life which pleases God.
In building a Christian like Colossians 3:12-15, all the qualities are the same. The holiness, love, kindness, compassion, and forgiveness are alike. Every Christian is ‘built’ the same way. This is what goes into constructing every Christian. These qualities are not optional. They are not left out of some and put into others. All these are to be placed in the construction of every child of God.
What makes the project of building a Christian a success is the heart. A submissive heart to the blueprint God has put together. If this heart loves God with his all, the constructing of a Christian will be much easier. When this heart focuses on allowing God to manage the ‘project’ of transforming (Romans 12:2), it will prove God’s good and perfect will. If this heart thinks upon good, honest, pure, just, true, and noble things (Philippians 4:8), this ‘construction project’ will be a success. It will take patience to complete, but the desire of each Christian should be to end this project with these words: “…enter thou into the joy of thy Lord” (Matthew 25:21).
