All men want to build

It started from a young age; as boys thrilled at the mere chance to hold a hammer. In those early years, hitting a nail into a piece of wood was enough but that’s no longer the case. Now we desire to build that which they can call our own and be proud of once complete; that which will stand forever.

We all know there is nothing more rewarding for a man than to stand back and see the work of his hands; knowing it was a direct result of his efforts. For this reason, many will go on to pursue a career in the skilled trades.

Entering first into an apprenticeship under the mentorship of an expert allows one to grow the needed skillset to become a licensed professional in their chosen field.

Once this happens, the opportunities are endless. As we know… the worksites are plenty, but the workers are few. 

Do we view the spiritual or core building work we are involved in each day like this? How would we benefit from beginning an apprenticeship in this area? One that would develop our understanding and competency to the level of a master tradesman.

It’s true, each man has a unique spiritual skillset he is called to develop and use on the worksite he finds himself; but how many of us know what is uniquely ours to offer? And if we have identified what that is, where do we even start to practically train? What is the plan that will motivate and give us confidence.

Sadly, something is missing… While we have endless programs that will train a man for a successful career in our society, when it comes to being successful in the work of our hearts and developing our spiritual calling, we are often left to our own devices. We are pulled to try and fill the gap in areas we have no desire or ability, spinning our wheels with little productivity and ending the work day feeling defeated more times than not. 

In the film Field of Dreams, there is the famous line “if you build it, he will come…“

What if we were to establish a place where we could train men up within their chosen trade to be the best of the best; to be the master each of us was destined to be.

Imagine the results we could achieve with a crew of skilled tradesmen who were passionate and focused; Surely we would accomplish far more than we could with a group of general labourers. Men uniquely valued and no longer treated as all the same… Because the same we are not.

Romans 12:4 reminds us that ‘just as our bodies have many parts‘ they all have a unique function and yet rely on one another.

If we want a space that we can feel comfortable as men; a space we can feel comfortable to invite other men, and genuinely work towards strengthening ourselves and each other; maybe the solution is just to build it… and then He will come 

The work will be demanding and naturally there will be some long days; But it will be intentional and productive, allowing us to end our day with a satisfied and whole heart.

For those who stick it out and continue to hone in on their unique call to action, they will be rewarded by seeing the finished product… the Kingdom built up. To experience this will be life-changing; the triumph outlasting a lifetime.

Let’s not lose sight of our project; Every job has one thing in common… it has to be done… And it has to be done well.

So then, if we are called to build, let’s build…and let’s do it well! We can’t do it alone, but we can do it together!