S159P7 – Warnings against foolishness: to build or to destroy

Pro. 14:1, 3

The wise woman builds her house, but the foolish pulls it down with her hands.  In the mouth of a fool is a rod of pride, but the lips of the wise will preserve them.

These days, we do not live very long.  The vast majority of people meet their end before completing their first century.  Yet, those of us who are alive today are able to know quite a bit about people who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago.  We can visit buildings and other landmarks from times gone by and discover a lot about those who constructed or occupied those places.  Artifacts and writings left behind can paint a picture of what life was like during that time.  The things which connect us today to those who lived so long ago are the things they created.  They serve as a sort of legacy, and even those who wanted nothing to do with the Lord had a desire to create things to be left behind.

God has created us with a desire to be creators ourselves.  We can say that this is a part of his character passed down to us.  We were not created to destroy but to build.  We were foolish in the garden of Eden and began a path of great destruction by our disobedience.  Now we have the opportunity to correct that path.  We can use our words and our actions to build lives which honor the Lord.  We also can help others build their relationships with him.  If we are wise, we can create a legacy with positive eternal consequences.  We can build others spiritually and build ourselves in the process.  Our work can add to the size of the kingdom as well as the magnitude of its reach and power.  The only other option is to frustrate the kingdom’s work as we did so long ago.

Those who act and speak as fools will use their hands and tongues to set destructive fires.  The result of their lives will be burned pieces of rubble smoking in the ashes.  In the process, they will have taken many down with them.  These fools will find others foolish enough to follow them into the fire.  Our job as wise children of God is to build our lives well and help others steer clear of that fire.  God gives us the privilege of helping others build their legacies as well as ours.  Ultimately, we are working together to build the legacy of the kingdom.  Father, help your children to act and speak wisely in their kingdom work, helping to build the kingdom in unity instead of working tear it down.