Unless the Lord builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain.
– Psalm 127:1
Humankind has long been motivated to build. It seems to be part of our nature. We only get eleven chapters into the biblical narrative before coming across the second major building project in the land of Shinar (Noah’s ark was the first). Things haven’t changed since. Some of you may remember when the Willis Tower (I still say Sears Tower) was the tallest building in the world. For perspective, the building with that title currently is the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, at nearly twice the height of the Chicago skyscraper. Whether the goal is taller, wider, or somehow more exotic, being surpassed in one’s building accomplishment is just a matter of time.
The writer of Psalm 127 has a thought to convey, and presents it using the image of building. Verse 1 offers two related statements, the second intended to reinforce the first by using a similar analogy. Whether building or guarding (or whatever the nature of the work) there is a possibility of doing it “in vain.” What does that mean? If something is done “in vain,” the result has no purpose or meaning. It accomplishes nothing. People have humorously suggested that the sport of golf is something like that. You whack a little ball, search all over the place until you find it, only to whack it again. It does seem a curious thing to do! Yes, we know there is actually a goal in whacking the ball, but you get the point.
Any worker would hope that her work accomplishes something. Any builder is encouraged by the thought that the thing being built has some kind of significance.
I have never thought of myself as a builder, not in the way we usually think. I am not especially skilled with my hands in creating things. A wood shop for me would be a waste of space and money. About the only building I do would be model rockets, and that is mostly following instructions with precut parts. Perhaps, though, it would be beneficial for me to consider “building” in a more broad way. Everyone who is blessed to mature into adolescence and adulthood has the opportunity to build. The result may not be crafts fashioned by skillful hands, but it is building nonetheless. We may build a family. Most everyone builds some kind of relationships. We build a reputation, which then translates into building influence, ultimately becoming the legacy built with our lives. Yes, we will all build something. The key question is this: Will it be in vain?
It may not surprise you when I say that the teaching of Jesus is helpful here. Jesus had a way of getting beyond the question of what we build so we might have to consider why we build. The “why” might be worry, or pride, or greed, or any other worldly, fleshly motivation. If these are the “why” of our building, we can be pretty sure that the labor will be in vain.
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal.
For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
– Matthew 6:19-20, 25
This, of course, led Jesus to offer these memorable words (verse 33): “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” I get the impression there is a link we should see. Seeking the kingdom points us to building that lasts. This must come pretty close to what the psalmist had in mind. Only when we are building the things that God is building will we be building with any purpose and meaning. Anything else is building in vain.
A minute or two in reflection might be good. Consider what you are building. Relationships. Witness. Legacy. How well are you in sync with God’s building plan?
The Winding Path 