Humans love to build.
During recent months I have seen some incredible places, cities, buildings and structures:the pyramids of Giza (built by aliens!?!?!), the Valley of the Kings in southern Egypt, various Egyptian temples, Masada, the Herodian, Jerusalem, Petra, Westminster Abbey, Nortre Dame, and the list goes on and on.
Every culture loves and needs to build. God has hardwired this desire in us all.
Seeing some of these buildings made to think about the story of Babel in Genesis 11. The people in this story are building a “tower that reaches to the heaven so that we may make a name for ourselves” (Genesis 11:4, NIV).
The desire to build is evident. The purpose for the building is also stated: “so that we may make a name for ourselves.”
God is also in the business of building. Put he is building something quit different. Instead of building massive structures out of stone (I was surprised to learn how small the tabernacle and temple were in comparison to other buildings I recently saw) he is building, through Jesus Christ, a temple of people–“living stones being built into a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:5).
God is focused on a massive people building program rather than a massive building.
As I think about typical human building projects and God’s building project I ask myself:
1. What am I building: on people or into people?
2. Why am I building: for Him or for me?