Build Your life With Eternity in Mind

**Fenny West** Sat 02 Aug 2008, 12:29 pm

Build Your Life for Eternity

There story is told of a man who had spent most of his life building houses for a property developer. After about 30years in the business, he felt it was time to retire and spend more time with his family and so he informed his master.
‘Could you not stay a few more years?' his master pleaded.

‘I have come to the end of the road, I am sorry’, he told him.

‘Can you build me just one more house?’ the master begged him.

The builder agreed and soon commenced the last build.

He thought of building the house as fast as he could and start enjoying his retirement. His heart was not in what he was doing so he compromised his principles and cut corners, doing a shoddy work to completion.

‘I am done.' he told his master.

'Well done! That was quick!'

The master then thanked him for how he had served him over the years. And then, surprisingly, he handed over the keys of the house to him as a parting present.

The builder was dumbfounded and full guilt and shame. He was sad that he did a slip-shod work, not knowing He was going to live in it one day. '
'If I had known that this would be my house I would have given my best,' he confided to himself.

What type of life are you building today? Is it such as will give joy to the your heavenly Master? Are you building with eternity at heart or are you concentrating on the present?

Jesus told a parable of two builders- one of them built his house on the rock and the other built his on the sand. The rains and storms came. And whilst the house of the man who built on the rock stood, that of the man who built his on the sand came crashing with a big bang.

24"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The 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. 26But 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. 27The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matt.7:24-28)

Explaining the parable, Jesus taught us that building on the rock meant hearing and obeying His Word. Are you hearing from God? Do you know what He wants you to do? Are you surrendered to Him? Is your prayer, ‘Not my will but yours be done?’ Can you live with the fruits of the tree you planted like that man had to live in the cowboy house he built? Have you looked at yourself lately in the mirror of life – the Bible -to see if you are still in the faith? What did you see? Do you still remember what you saw? Is the word of God the final authority in your life? We were enjoined in James 1:22 , not to be just hears of the Word but doers also.

Let us do whatever we do as to Him. For a day of reckoning is coming when each person’s work will be tried by fire and if our work stand the test we will receive our rewards otherwise we will suffer loss.
12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. (Rom14:12)

10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
(Ephe2:10)

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matt5:16 KJV)

11For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames. (ICor3:11-15)

Let’s build our lives on the word of God. Let it be our pattern, our compass, our plumb line- precept upon precept, line upon line.

Let us avoid compromising our principles to satisfy momentary pleasures or to please people around us. Let’s put the flesh under control. Esau sold his birthright because of the deception of moment. He wanted to satisfy his hunger but in the wrong way and regretted it Jesus was tempted in the same way by the devil but he told him, ‘get thee behind me, Satan, ‘It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ Also, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego stood by what they believed regardless of the cost or the consequences and God vindicated them. Daniel did the same and not only glorified God but was promoted and the king praise Daniel’s God. (Dan1:4-9,17,20;-3:8-29; -6)

So friend, stand firm by your beliefs and convictions. Weeping may endure for the night but your joy is coming. Let integrity be your watchword. Know that your employer may not see, but God sees everything. Be the best, give your best. And the king said unto Araunah, Nay; but I will surely buy it of thee at a price: neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. So David bought the threshingfloor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 2Sam24:24

After all, God gave His Best –Jesus Christ.
17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 23Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, (Col 3:17,23)

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