Applaud the Builder

By Robin Steinweg –

“Ow!” I hop on one foot. I explore my stinging toes. I can feel the imprint the mystery object left when I stepped on it in the dark. Still hopping, I land on another.“Ow, OW!” Now there’s a matched set. Whatever it is, this one’s embedded itself into my arch. I pull it off. Lego blocks. We missed them when cleaning before bed. The one that found my toes is square and yellow. The one I still feel in my arch is a red rectangle. Looking for more strays, I see the megastructure our boys have worked on all week. Not a piece wasted. Part skyscraper, part castle, who knows? But it’s magnificent. I can put up with a lot for an edifice like that. I admire and applaud the builders!

Legos are like the church. They come in all sizes, from big Duplos to the tiniest bits the vacuum cleaner can find. They’re all colors: black, white, brown, olive, pink, even transparent. They have different functions. They come in many shapes: round, flat, skinny, chunky, smooth, angular. (I can still feel an angular one in my foot.) Some resist; they’re obstinately hard to place without extra pressure. Some fall off easily and need others to support them. But eventually they all—every one of them—snap into place to create something magnificent. Sure, there are the odd strays now and then, but they’ll get gathered up and placed, too, as the builder sees fit.

God’s people are all sizes, colors, shapes; gifts, skills, talents; purposes, uses and functions. Some do one thing, others many things. Some are obstinate, requiring discipline. Others need those around them for support. Some are hard and angular, and cause sharp pain when they contact tender flesh. But the Builder knows what He’s doing, and He’s able to make them all work together. He places them just where He wants them in His design. The end product will be magnificent.

PRAYER: Lord, thank You for the diversity of Your church. Help me to accept and love those You place around me (even the sharp, angular ones). Make me content where You place me, or if You decide to move me. You see the magnificent end product. All admiration and applause to You, the Builder!

“In Him the whole building, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord” (Ephesians 2:21, NET).

Today’s devotional is by Robin J. Steinweg. Robin’s life might be described using the game Twister: the colored dots are all occupied, limbs intertwine (hopefully not to the point of tangling), and you never know which dot the arrow will point to next, but it sure is fun getting there!