The minutiae of our actions build upon themselves day by day, becoming habits, becoming character. An investment compounds almost imperceptibly but yields growth in time. And the result of our work and our relationships builds a legacy as well. When we look back, no one thing may stick in our mind, but we see the results of our daily interactions. What does that legacy look like? What have we built?
Jesus was a techton, which literally means builder. He was born during the time of Herod, one of the great builders of history. The record of all Herod built boggles the mind in its grandeur. Those opulent structures today are ruins, remnants of what once stood. Herod was an architectural genius, but Herod built for Herod. And now his life’s work has no lasting function or beauty, other than for the curious.
The builder called Jesus didn’t leave any stones on top of each other that we know of, yet He built something that still stands. He laid the foundation of His church, being Himself the chief cornerstone. His sacrifice marks the foundation and He sent His Spirit to work in and through those who have followed. Jesus built the church – and He is building it still.
I look at the decades of my life that have passed and wonder what I have built so far. Will it last? Is it of eternal value? Am I building on the foundation that Christ Himself laid? Or, like Herod, have I built for myself – something that points to me or is of temporary significance? In truth, it is probably a mixed bag.
God calls us to work alongside Him, the great master builder, as He teaches us and allows us to work on His great masterpiece, the beloved church. What a thrill to participate in His grand design. One day we will meet the people we touched, and who touched us, and we will see how our smallest interactions were used by Him to grow and adorn His church.
I want all my efforts to be Kingdom building - to point to Jesus, teach the Word, love my neighbor and surrender every day to His call. And that some day in eternity, we can behold together the magnificence of what He built.
In Him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit. Ephesians 2:22
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