Sticks and Stones: Using eternal building materials

Are we using the right materials for our eternal bridge? Photo-wordpress.com

How much of our lives seem wrapped up in the temporary?

Cooking meals, doing dishes, mopping the floor, talking on the phone, answering emails, and certainly a much extended list of other items would flush out this enumeration exercise. OK, let’s add list making to the list.

Some of this is just living. We wouldn’t think of not feeding our family so we didn’t have to do the dishes. OK, maybe we thought about it, but then the reality of making this absurd proposition work hit us in the face.

We are building a bridge to eternity, but sometimes the stuff of day-to-day living obscures the view to our destination. We want to leave this earth better than we found it. That’s just good stewardship. But we also should remember that we are the eternal ones. Towns, rivers, forests, masterpieces of art may come and go; but we are made for an eternal relationship.

Here is our first make it count moment today. It’s short and to the point.

Ask God to remind us that He notices the things we do—even the small stuff that’s just living.

Building an eternal bridge requires the right materials. We are not talking gold, steel, on concrete. We are talking about something longer lasting—things that last in us. They are our convictions, our character, and our community.

Convictions are more that a set of words or a creed. They are how we live. God’s word is important. We must read it and understand it. Conviction means that we also live it. God’s word is not an academic exercise. It is a guide to real living and we need to live our convictions. Fidelity between God’s word and how we live is conviction.

The next building material is our character. God wants our character to be like that of Jesus. The circumstances of this world are used to shape our character. Difficulty, even persecution can produce a growth spurt in our eternal character. The same circumstances can produce withdrawal, even depression. The choice we make determines our character. Circumstances are temporary. Character is eternal. God wants to shape us like his Son.

We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people he called, because that was his plan. God knew them before he made the world, and he decided that they would be like his Son so that Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers. God planned for them to be like his Son; and those he planned to be like his Son, he also called; and those he called, he also made right with him; and those he made right, he also glorified.

Romans 8:28-30 NCV

The third building material for this bridge to eternity is others—or our community. Few are called to a solitary life. We are made to be in relationship with God and with each other. God uses other people to chisel away that part of us that doesn’t look like Christ.

Here’s our next make it count moment.

In what area of your life are you currently experiencing the most pressure? How have you responded?

How might God be using this experience to build your character?

How do we put these eternal building materials together to build that eternal bridge? It is necessary to do so with others of like hearts and minds. We need teammates—people committed to the same passion. If we are too busy to foster these relations, then we are too busy. We need to rearrange our priorities.

Consider the priorities of Mary and Martha.

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Luke 10:38-42 NIV

Here are today’s make it last for life challenges.

1. Write down 5 convictions that you hold that you believe are timeless.

2. Reflect on each and ask:

3. How is it reinforced by God’s word?

4. How is it reinforced by others?

5. How is it reinforced by our own experience?

6. Now list 5 character traits that you want to be remembered for. How have you seen God cultivate each in your life?

7. Which one is God working on now?

8. Not write down a list of 5 people that share your values, convictions, and commitments. These should not be family members or co-workers.

9. How often do you see each?

10. How could you encourage them?