Psalm 127:1-4
Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; For so He gives His beloved sleep. Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one’s youth.
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house building business to live a more leisurely life with his wife and enjoy his extended family. He would miss the paycheck each week, but he wanted to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go & asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but over time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end a dedicated career. When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front-door key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house… my gift to you.” The carpenter was shocked! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently.
Whether we are building structures with bricks, mortar and steel or building our character, our family, our community or church with truth and love, we cannot succeed without the help of the Lord. Jesus said “without me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Psalm 127 is a part of who we are as a church. We are in the midst of a building construction but we are also in the midst of building lives. The question is how invested is our heart?
If you read the book of Nehemiah you find a great example of an invested heart. He was informed that Jerusalem was without walls and he resolved to restore them even with great opposition. At the same time, he reformed the community in conformity with the Law of Moses. His heart was fully invested in what God had called him to build.
When God called Marv and I into full time ministry, we both knew we were called to build His Kingdom. It was God who opened the door and we were able to step into His plan. I think one of the biggest challenges in building anything is staying fully invested in God and what He has called you to especially when opposition arises. 2016 was a very challenging year for my family and for so many others in our church. Looking back I had to ask myself, in the midst of difficulty did we still have an invested heart? Did we continue building our marriages? Were we fully invested in our family, our kids, grandkids and great grand kids? Did we show up each weekend to serve and love on others? Did we continue investing in the next generation? If our heart is a reflection of who we are did we ever stop being who God called us to be?
We are a Church with an Invested Heart. 2017 will be a miraculous year!
JACQUIE MCGEE
Connections Pastor
