Being a writer, my idea of manual labor is
placing fingers to keyboard and letting them build words and sentences and
paragraphs on the computer screen. But as I’ve mentioned before, I have great
appreciation for craftspeople and skilled workers, whether they’re building a
house, replacing a roof, pouring a driveway, or redesigning and renovating rooms.
As a dutiful husband, I sometimes join my
wife in watching that wonder of TV magic, HGTV. If I had to pick a favorite, it
would be “Fixer Upper,” with Chip and Joanna. They have a down to earth, folksy
way of transforming residential wrecks into heartwarming homes. I don’t flip
over “Flip or Flop,” and “Love It or List It” seems way too contrived, but the
“Property Brothers” make a strong statement for sibling cooperation rather than
rivalry.
If I’ve learned anything while watching any
of these HGTV offerings, it’s that if you don’t know what you’re doing, or lack
the skill, don’t try it. It takes the right blend of artistry and craftsmanship. More often than not, prospective buyers visit an assortment of
fixer-upper homes that to untrained eyes look like nothing more than candidates
for demolition. But because of their experience and expertise, the designers
and builders can collaborate to turn domestic eyesores into showcases.
My wife and I have witnessed this firsthand while
endeavoring to spruce up the home we’ve lived in for years. An expert in tile
installation turned our bathrooms into sights suitable for a beautiful homes
magazine. An interior designer took our vague ideas and changed several rooms
into real eye-pleasers.
The key is simple: Whether you’re building or
rebuilding, you want to use someone that definitely knows what they’re doing.
This is why, in my view, attempting to build
a marriage, family, career, or an entire life makes little sense without
consulting and relying on the Master Builder. Psalm 127:1 declares, “Unless
the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. Unless
the Lord guards the city, the watchman keeps awake in vain. It is in
vain for you to rise up early, to retire late, to eat the bread of painful
labors; for He gives to His beloved even in his sleep.”
Any structure – whether a single-family home,
apartment building, shopping mall, or skyscraper – requires a solid foundation.
And for one’s life, there can be no stronger, sturdier foundation than what God
offers through the truths and principles He’s presented in the Scriptures.
Through the years I’ve gotten to know many
business and professional people who have learned the best path to a
successful, fulfilling career is following guidelines the Lord has put forth in
the Bible. Marriages have been established, rekindled and saved through the
power of Jesus Christ and biblical teachings. Parents have discovered there is
no better pattern for being a mom or a dad than the example of God the Father
revealed in the Scriptures.
As Jesus told His followers, “everyone who
hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who
built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the
winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its
foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not
put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The
rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that
house, and it fell with a great crash” (Matthew 7:24-27).
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