CONSTRUCTION ZONE -- Devotional for May 4, from "Good Seeds"

Build up one another. (I Thessalonians 5:11)

The New Testament paints three beautiful portraits of the church: It is the BODY of Christ, the BRIDE of Christ, and the BUILDING of Christ. Each of these needs constant support and nurture to stay healthy and vibrant. A body needs nourishment and exercise, so God commands us to care for one another and to stimulate one another to love and good deeds. A bride needs attention and affection, so we are urged to be devoted and to be kind to one another in love. A building needs order, symmetry and structural strength, so we are exhorted to encourage one another, to give preference, and to be subject to one another, doing all we can to build up one another. When an edifice of any kind is under construction, certain principles must be adhered to: 1) there must be a plan; 2) it starts with a firm foundation; 3) every piece has a purpose; 4) there is a certain order to be followed; 5) some components will show in the finished product, but most will be hidden from view; 6) bricks and boards are not merely laid one upon another, but firmly fastened; 7) like a body, a building is not merely “cold flesh” – it has a circulatory system, a network of pipes and wires distributing information and conducting power from one section to another. And most of all, 8) There must be leadership and division of labor: a master builder directing willing laborers, all working with unity of purpose. Each one does his assigned task, for which he is ideally suited by calling, strengths and skills. Like an athletic team, each member of a construction team is expected to perform his own task. In football, this would mean receivers are trained to go out and catch the ball; lineman are selected for their bulk, and then taught to alternately guard the ball handler from invaders, or be the invaders themselves; the quarterback calls the plays designed to get the ball into the end zone. It’s a concerted team effort: the center snaps, the kicker kicks, the linebacker tackles. You get the point: each man does what he does best, and he respects his teammates, depends on them, and gives them permission and room to do what they were equipped to do. Just so, the church is to be a team of specialists, each one gifted and assigned by God to make a particular contribution toward the construction of the edifice. But just remember this: the building we are constructing is – one another! Everything that is done for the kingdom of God and the glory of God must also work to the good of the people of God. If the latter is not happening, something’s wrong with the former. We must never think we are building Christ’s church if we are not building up one another!