Building a Building

For we are God's co-workers; you are God's field, God's building. 1 Corinthians 3:9

"It's facing the wrong side!" This was the informal statement of John, our friend and tourist guide in Michigan, as we traverse Traverse City. He was pointing at one hotel building that was built with its back facing the beautiful scenery of the combined green and blue of the peninsula. John told me the contractors of this building did not know they were erecting the vertical structure with its front 180 degrees from the awesome sight of nature until they have almost finished the building. He concluded that, of course, lawsuits were filed because of this terrible mistake.

How could they not notice they were building a building facing the wrong side?

How could we not notice we are building a building facing the wrong side?

When we are serving as God's workers, we face the wrong side when we depend on our skills not on His grace. When we are sowing and plowing in God's field, we turn our backs from Him when we choose the law above love. When we join our hands to build God's church or community, we shun His beauty when we act as agents of division rather than of unity. When we keep our eyes on our limitation and not on God's abundance, we build at the wrong side. When we value man's words than God's words, we erect erroneously.

May we not make the same mistake. Remember, we are His co-workers not the employer. We are co-hosts; we are not the main host. We are stewards, we are not the owner. Follow His design. Implement His plan. Build by focusing on God. Build by loving one another. Build by accepting our differences and delve on our similarities. Build by being confident of His providence and promises.

May we build God's building facing God.