“For we are laborers together with God:  ye are God’s husbandry, ye are God’s building.”  I Corinthians 3:9   KJV

Have you ever heard anyone say, “Get a life!” or “I wish they would get a life!”?  We’ve all heard it, but hopefully, it hasn’t been said about us.   Perhaps we’ve even said it to someone ourselves (or we’ve at least wanted to say it!).  Because some people seem so preoccupied with themselves and minor details of their lives, they don’t seem to see the whole picture (or anything that’s going on around them!).

The problem with telling someone to “Get a life!” is that it’s too general.

To “get a life” you have to first, “build a life!”

Brick upon brick, stone upon stone, block upon block.  To get a life, build a life.  To have a home (a safe relationship with your family), build a house (a safe place for your family to dwell).

Hurricanes prove the need for a sure foundation.  The Bible tells us in I Cor. 3:10 & 11  KJV,  “According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon.  But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon.  For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”  This is what builds a fortress around your family.

Be a wise master builder; and know that Jesus is the ultimate Master-Builder of your life.  He is the sure foundation.  He is the One who helps you weather the storms of life.

There’s a construction site near where I live and I take my walks past the activity to see what’s going on…what progress has been made each day.  Construction has been going on for about 2 years now.  The 90, or so, villas take up an entire block, with the backyards facing each other on two different streets.  They’re built so that two villas are attached, like they’re holding hands.  Their backyards are protected because they face each other and their garage is facing the street.  The front doors are on the outer sides of each villa, so that the front door faces the neighbor that the villa is not attached to, like they’re greeting their next-door neighbor.  I really like them; each villa is a slightly different color with roof tiles that co-ordinate nicely.

I’ve watched this construction job site for so long, that I’ve seen completion of a majority of the homes, while others are still just being started.  It’s like an assembly line of houses.  My Dad was a carpenter, so it’s exciting for me to watch.  Someone had a vision, land was purchased, plans were drawn up, and permits were obtained.  The area was surveyed, the big machinery came in, measurements were taken, the ground was staked out, and dirt was pushed around.

Crews came in, footings were poured, cement walls went up, roofs went on, and rooms were divided by studs and dry wall.  Painters came on board and painted inside and out, roof tiles were put on in the blazing hot Florida sun!  Kitchen cabinets and appliances arrived; carpets or tile floors were laid down.  Landscapers turned the dry dirt into a tropical green oasis.  Sprinklers water the greenery.

At one point in construction, it looked as if the piles of debris would take over.  Win out.  Choke the life out of the plan to build, but the master builder came and had a plan for the garbage removal…and it was never seen again.

Soon families started moving into the completed villas.  I saw moving trucks unloading furniture and boxes…and garages filled with stuff.   Cars and vans were parked in the driveways, babies were wheeled in their carriages, and dogs were walked. Deliverymen came and went, and folks sat in their garages trying to catch a breeze.  I smelled the aroma of steaks grilling on the BBQs in the backyards.  I heard cell phones ringing, people talking, and music playing.

Life!

All this while the site across the street was still a barren wasteland waiting for its life to be built.

All the folks seem so happy here, but they couldn’t live here, if they didn’t build here.  If it was still barren.  If there wasn’t a plan.  A house doesn’t just materialize.  Neither does a life.  There’s got to be a plan.  And in order for there to be a plan, there must be a planner.  A Master-Builder.  A house needs some forethought, so does a life.  Don’t just expect it to happen, it has to be planned.

We have to plan for it.

Are you waiting for your life to be built?  Do you know someone who needs to “Get a life!”?  A house needs a Master-Builder, so do we.

How do you build a life?

     1.  Contact the Master-Builder.  He has the vision for your life.  He purchased the land.  He’s drawn up the plans.  He’s gotten the permits.  He’s surveyed the area.  He’s taken the measurements.  He’s ready to bring in the big machinery.  He’s staked out the ground and He’s moving the dirt.

     He’s got the right crew to pour the footings and build the cement walls for a sure foundation.  He’s constructing the dividing walls, painting the house, and putting the roof over your head to protect you and your family from the hot sun and severe weather.  God carts away the garbage and debris in our lives, never to be seen again.  Ask Him to dispose of it for you, don’t let it surround you, or stay piled up on your property.  It’s ugly; and not part of the beautiful landscape He has planned for your life.  He’s got everything you need inside and out, all around you, and under your feet.  He’s even planned for the landscape around you to be lush and green!  He waters your life with His Living Waters.  Read His book.  Discover His plan for you.

2.  Gain the support of others.  Build so that your backyards face each other for protection, hold hands as you go through life.  Greet your neighbors, look out for each other, a hurricane or crisis will show you how much you need them.  Protect your family.  Pray.  Ask Jesus to place a hedge of protection around your home and your family.  Let your garage door face out to the world, embrace your neighborhood, catch the cool breeze of the Holy Spirit as you sit and look at the world through His eyes.  Building a house is hard work, so is building a life.  Don’t leave the Master Plan to an amateur.  Call in the professional…Jesus  Accept His advice on how to build your life.  Work at it.  It’s time-consuming, but ah-h-h, the sweet satisfaction of a job well done.  Stand back and look at the finished product that God has built, step by step.

3.  Start now, it’s not too late, even if your land seems barren, the Master-Builder knows what to do.  He knows what you need.  He’s built other lives.  From nothing to an abundant life.  Build your child’s life now, don’t wait.  Start building…brick upon brick, stone upon stone, and block upon block.  And see them come alive with the Master-Builder’s perfect plan for their lives.  Don’t just sit back and let it all just happen to you.  Society is built on the world’s standards.  You want to build an eternal foundation, not something temporary.  The enemy wants the storms of life to cause you to lose your footing, shake your foundation, and tear down your protection.  He wants the garbage and debris to choke you.  Don’t leave the building process in the hands of a demolition crew.  The enemy wants to destroy you and take you down.  Go to the Master-Builder, He’s the One who can build you up.  Give you a life built on the Rock!

Job 22:23  CEV  “If you return to the Almighty, you will be built up.”