If we put our faith in Christ, then we are called to do work — construction work to be exact, because we are called to work to build his kingdom.
Many of us, though; choose only to pay lip service to Christ while we carve out a place for ourselves in this world. We must shun this worldly laziness and work for Christ.
Can we see ourselves in the post-exilic Jews who came back from Babylon, but ignored what needed to be done? I can sure see myself.
"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'These people say, the time has not yet come for the Lord's house to be built.' Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 'Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?'" — Haggai 1:2-3
So many of us like to complain about the corruption we find in the world today — I must admit that I complain more than most. We see evil flourishing around us, but most of us choose to sit in our comfortable homes and let everything else go up in flames, all the while hoping we don't get choked on the smoke.
We go to work everyday, we don't smoke, drink, cuss or chew and don't date girls that do — so it appears we are living "good" lives.
What appears to be missing, though; is our proclamation of Christ above all. We must be bold, so I use this example Paul gave to his young protégé Timothy.
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God." — 2 Timothy 1:7-8
When we have Christ in our lives, it should be our joy to share Christ with the world — that is our construction project, but instead sometimes I feel we act more like the Israelites of the Old Testament.
"Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." — Haggai 1:5-6
As a Christian, if we live our lives on our own, we always come up empty. Oh, we can do a lot of work, but where does it get us? It leaves us with magnificent cathedrals and nothing inside — empty, just like our lives.
The people of Judah who returned from exile in Babylon knew full well what God could and would do to them. Before the exile they were constantly looking to anything but God for their existence — they paid a penalty for their rebellion.
When God showed his mercy and allowed them to return home did they immediately fall down and give thanks to God for his mercy and their freedom — nope, they looked to themselves.
"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why? Declares the Lord Almighty. Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands." — Haggai 1:9-11
When we choose to go about our lives without acknowledging Christ in our lives we become desolate — just as God made Judah desolate to bring them back in line with his wishes to build the Temple.
Sometimes it takes some discipline to get us to come to God.
"If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." — Hebrews 12:8-10
Only through a humble and contrite heart can we come to honor Christ and work for him in the world. We can't do it on our own. We can't understand the ways of God if we don't have Christ in our hearts. We must put off our own desires in order to do the work Christ calls us to do.
The people of Judah finally got their hearts right and began work on the Temple of God and God said he was working with them.
The new Temple was not as grand a structure as Solomon's Temple, but God made a promise to the people of Judah.
"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty. 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty. 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the Lord Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the Lord Almighty." — Haggai 2:6-9
We, as fallen beings can build grand buildings that literally touch the sky. We can work for God and build humble structures that don't seem like they amount to much, but when we add Christ to the equation it becomes greater than anything on earth because we are living in his will and in us he is constructing a perfect, heavenly body — something we could never do on our own.
That is what we work for, that is why we strive on this earth to help further the kingdom — not on our own, but by Christ working through us.
If we ignore Christ's calling then we are subject to judgment — never let anybody say otherwise because there are consequences for our inaction. On the other hand, if we work for Christ, then we can share in his kingdom — praise be to God.
Many of us, though; choose only to pay lip service to Christ while we carve out a place for ourselves in this world. We must shun this worldly laziness and work for Christ.
Can we see ourselves in the post-exilic Jews who came back from Babylon, but ignored what needed to be done? I can sure see myself.
"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'These people say, the time has not yet come for the Lord's house to be built.' Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai: 'Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?'" — Haggai 1:2-3
So many of us like to complain about the corruption we find in the world today — I must admit that I complain more than most. We see evil flourishing around us, but most of us choose to sit in our comfortable homes and let everything else go up in flames, all the while hoping we don't get choked on the smoke.
We go to work everyday, we don't smoke, drink, cuss or chew and don't date girls that do — so it appears we are living "good" lives.
What appears to be missing, though; is our proclamation of Christ above all. We must be bold, so I use this example Paul gave to his young protégé Timothy.
"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God." — 2 Timothy 1:7-8
When we have Christ in our lives, it should be our joy to share Christ with the world — that is our construction project, but instead sometimes I feel we act more like the Israelites of the Old Testament.
"Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: 'Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it." — Haggai 1:5-6
As a Christian, if we live our lives on our own, we always come up empty. Oh, we can do a lot of work, but where does it get us? It leaves us with magnificent cathedrals and nothing inside — empty, just like our lives.
The people of Judah who returned from exile in Babylon knew full well what God could and would do to them. Before the exile they were constantly looking to anything but God for their existence — they paid a penalty for their rebellion.
When God showed his mercy and allowed them to return home did they immediately fall down and give thanks to God for his mercy and their freedom — nope, they looked to themselves.
"You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why? Declares the Lord Almighty. Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands." — Haggai 1:9-11
When we choose to go about our lives without acknowledging Christ in our lives we become desolate — just as God made Judah desolate to bring them back in line with his wishes to build the Temple.
Sometimes it takes some discipline to get us to come to God.
"If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live! Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness." — Hebrews 12:8-10
Only through a humble and contrite heart can we come to honor Christ and work for him in the world. We can't do it on our own. We can't understand the ways of God if we don't have Christ in our hearts. We must put off our own desires in order to do the work Christ calls us to do.
The people of Judah finally got their hearts right and began work on the Temple of God and God said he was working with them.
The new Temple was not as grand a structure as Solomon's Temple, but God made a promise to the people of Judah.
"This is what the Lord Almighty says: 'In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come and I will fill this house with glory,' says the Lord Almighty. 'The silver is mine and the gold is mine,' declares the Lord Almighty. 'The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,' says the Lord Almighty. 'And in this place I will grant peace,' declares the Lord Almighty." — Haggai 2:6-9
We, as fallen beings can build grand buildings that literally touch the sky. We can work for God and build humble structures that don't seem like they amount to much, but when we add Christ to the equation it becomes greater than anything on earth because we are living in his will and in us he is constructing a perfect, heavenly body — something we could never do on our own.
That is what we work for, that is why we strive on this earth to help further the kingdom — not on our own, but by Christ working through us.
If we ignore Christ's calling then we are subject to judgment — never let anybody say otherwise because there are consequences for our inaction. On the other hand, if we work for Christ, then we can share in his kingdom — praise be to God.
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