Under Construction

“The whole difference between construction and creation is exactly this: that a thing constructed can only be loved after it is constructed; but a thing created is loved before it exists.” Charles Dickens

Some men in a pickup truck drove into a lumberyard. One of the men walked in the office and said, "We need some four-by-twos."
The clerk asked, "You mean two-by-fours, don't you?"
The man said, "I'll go check," and went back to the truck.
He returned and said, "Yeah, I meant two-by-four."
"All right. How long do you need them?"
The customer paused for a minute and said, "I'd better go check."
After a while, the customer returned to the office and said, "A long time. We're gonna build a house."

Isn’t it wonderful to know that God is building our “house?” I not only talking about the “house” He is preparing for us in Heaven, that Jesus mentions in John 14. I’m also talking about the ongoing construction that is our Christian life.

There’s a song that we often hear children sing, called, “He’s Still Working On Me.” The lyrics are something that we all need to understand about the work God is doing in all of us. “There really ought to be a sign upon the heart. Don't judge her yet, there's an unfinished part. But I'll be perfect just according to His plan, fashioned by the Master's loving hands He's still working on me, to make me what I ought to be. It took Him just a week to make the moon and stars, the sun and the earth and Jupiter and Mars. How loving and patient He must be. He's still working on me.”

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I recently visited the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, NC. Billy's wife, Ruth, is buried there, in the prayer garden. Her marker is a simple stone, with a Chinese symbol on the top that means “Righteousness.” On the bottom the inscription reads, “End of construction-Thank you for your patience.” 

Ruth Graham understood what many of us need to learn. Our salvation is a one time event. It is not, in any way, earned by our efforts. However, God does not stop there. The work continues through our entire lives in this world. We are all under construction.

We will never be perfect while we live on Earth, but God certainly works in our lives to mold us and make us into His image daily. What we need to understand, is that God loves us, even though we are not perfect. We are His creation and He will continue working on us, to make us more like Him, until the day we are called home to be with Him. 

Remember, when you fail or feel as though you are not good enough for God, the person that you are now is not the finished product. You are still under construction. Allow God to lay the foundation in His Word and then build you up with His materials. Only then will you be able to say at the end of your life, “End of construction-Thank you for your patience.”

And now I entrust you to God and the Word of his Grace — His message

that is able to build you up and give you an inheritance with all those He

has set apart for Himself. (Acts 20:32)