Every day we are building structures in our lives

With each interaction, like a mason, we place bricks one at a time to lay the foundation our lives depend upon, secure support beams to hold us up, and construct the necessary bridges to reach those around us.
However given the magnitude of the projects we are undertaking, there are questions we must consider…

What or who are we building for and will our structures stand the test of time?
We’ve all seen or heard of the results when an unqualified individual takes on a task outside of their ability… Simply put, it can get pretty ugly. Don’t follow the blueprints or proper planning for these jobs and we are going to end up with a whole mess of unwanted problems. 

Matthew 7 likens it to a foolish man who built his house on sand, which unsurprisingly came crashing down when the storms of life hit… ‘and great was the fall of it‘. However, there also stands the house of a wise man who heeded the instruction well and built his house upon the Rock; no matter the storm, the house stood firm… unmoved. Isn’t it obvious which one of these houses we would want to call home?

This core construction will most definitely be dirty at times; Often during the early days of ones faith, demolition is needed in our hearts before moving to the critical act of laying a new foundation. As the years pass, various renovations will be necessary to maintain our value and condition deep within.
And so, like any project, we need a building plan if we ever expect our structures to remain standing. A plan that details the scope of work, including the supplies and tools needed to see through to completion. One which we can sit down to review and ‘first count the cost…’ before beginning; lest we come up short and be ridiculed for poor workmanship.

Of course, the tools we are talking about here are not going to be found in our local hardware store, but we can apply a similar method to carry out the spiritual building work at hand. 
For example, every builder knows that one of the most important pieces of equipment needed to start the work day is a tool belt. Secured at arms reach around the waist and holding the most critical tools such as a hammer, tape measure, pencil, or safety glasses; A tool belt ensures a worker is equipped to handle most tasks, whether at the top of a ladder or in a tight space.
Likewise, wouldn’t it be helpful to equip ourselves with a sort of belt that would house the tools… or truths, that could be applied to the various situations we face each day. What truths would we reach for to hammer out fear, measure our worth, or protect against the endless debris of lies and doubt we face each day? Surely, we have all found ourselves in a tough spot before, with the answer seemingly out of reach and as a result, had things come crashing down of us.
So then, equipping ourselves is key to this extraordinary enterprise we have been recruited into, but it is merely the first step. There will be much more needed of us as we work in this core construction site.
So, pull out your steel toe boots and grab your morning coffee men; it’s time to get to work!