In my quiet time this morning I read 1 Corinthians 3:10-18 and I can’t get it out of my mind,
Because of God’s GRACE to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other 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, straw. But on the judgment 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, that builder will suffer great loss, the builder will be saved,but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.
As I read this – I can’t help but see the comparison to my role as a mother and wife…. “For a WISE woman builds her house; a foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.” Proverbs 14:1
Are we not the builders of our homes? Of our children’s foundation? Of our marriages? This morning I am convicted of the fact that I am not always using the BEST materials, with my children! Am I ALWAYS building on the foundation of Jesus Christ? Or am I sometimes building on the foundation of this world (Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2)
Am I more concerned with school decisions, playmates, my kids being dressed in a certain way and behaving in a certain way…. or am I more concerned with building their foundation in Jesus? Teaching them, to above all things, love our Lord with heart soul and mind? In all areas am I pointing back to Jesus?
“Look how beautiful the sunset is… isn’t God creative with all the colors he used…. Look at how I love and respect your father (even when it is hard)… that is what the Bible has taught me to do…. look at how we minister to a new mommy by bringing a meal, or reach out to an elderly neighbor… we do these things because the Bible teaches us that WE are the hands and feet of the church…
Do I just rush around and do these things without taking the time to TEACH my children WHY we do these things… Do I model the fruits of the Spirit in our home (22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galations 5:22-23) I don’t know about your house but I can certainly say ours is not always one of JOY, PATIENCE and PEACE!
Read another translations from The Message Bible:
10 Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! 11 Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. 12 Take particular care in picking out your building materials. 13 Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you’ll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won’t get by with a thing. 14 If your work passes inspection, fine; 15 if it doesn’t, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won’t be torn out; you’ll survive – but just barely. 16 You realize, don’t you, that you are the temple of God, and God himself is present in you? 17 No one will get by with vandalizing God’s temple, you can be sure of that. God’s temple is sacred – and you, remember, are the temple. 18 Don’t fool yourself. Don’t think that you can be wise merely by being up-to-date with the times.
I love how this version states, Take particular care in the materials you choose – what TV shows are we allowing our children to watch – is it teaching them of Jesus? What movies do we have in our houses or apps on our iphones? What music are we piping into their learning ears as we drive around in the car? Our children are like sponges – and not only do they learn from the obvious – but they learn through observation – they are WATCHING how we talk to daddy, how we do or do not undermine his decisions, how we treat the rude checkout clerk…
Am I more concerned with getting the house cleaned up – or stopping and snuggling with a child that just wants his/her momma’s attention… why do I so often try to multi-task and think that that will build the foundation in my children that God so desires? Am I more concerned with MY agenda and plan I had prepared for the day - or am I OPEN to God’s plan – willing to be flexible and not blow-up when one of my children derails the plan I had? Perhaps God is using my child to teach me as well!!
Today I am convicted that I have been given the incredible responsibility as builder/architect of my children’s hearts – Please God help me to build something that will survive the fires that this fallen world will inevitably throw at our children. I pray that on the judgement day when the fire reveals what kind of work each builder has done – My Lord will look at my children and say to me, WELL DONE GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT!
Thank you so much for this post! Definitely something I’ve been wrestling with lately… how much TV to watch, the time I spend on the computer, what is best for my son and for me… needing to be in The Word more… Thank you for challenging me to grow!!!