Donuts for the Class

(This article was written by an anonymous author.  If anyone knows the source, I would be happy to provide the attribution.) 

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the Western United States.  Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course his or her freshman year regardless of his or her major. Although Dr. Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor’s class.

One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him.
“How many push-ups can you do “
Steve said, “I do about 200 every night.”
“200 That’s pretty good, Steve,” Dr. Christianson said. “Do you think you could do 300 “

Steve replied, “I don’t know… I’ve never done 300 at a time.”
“Do you think you could ” again asked Dr. Christianson.
“Well, I can try,” said Steve.
“Can you do 300 in sets of 10 I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it I need you to tell me you can do it,” said the professor.

Steve said, “Well… I think I can…yeah, I can do it.”
Dr. Christianson said, “Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind.”

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No these weren’t the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson’ s class.

Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, “Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts “

Cynthia said, “Yes.”

Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut “

“Sure.” Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia’s desk.

Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, “Joe, do you want a donut “
Joe said, “Yes.”
Dr. Christianson asked, “Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut ” Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut. And down the second aisle, till Dr. Christianson came to Scott.

Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When the professor asked, “Scott do you want a donut ” Scott’s reply was, “Well, can I do my own pushups “
Dr. Christianson said, “No, Steve has to do them.”
Then Scott said, “Well, I don’t want one then.”

Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked,
“Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn’t want ”
With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups.

Scott said, “HEY! I said I didn’t want one!”
Dr. Christianson said, “Look, this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don’t want it.” And he put a donut on Scott’s desk.

Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry.

Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, “Jenny, do you want a donut “
Sternly, Jenny said, “No.”
Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, “Steve, would you do ten more Push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn’t want ” Steve did ten….Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say “No” and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks.

Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved.

Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten pushups in a set because he couldn’t bear to watch all of Steve’s work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely. Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row.

During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set.

Steve asked Dr. Christianson, “Do I have to make my nose touch on each one “

Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, “Well, they’re your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want.” And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, “NO! Don’t come in! Stay out!” Jason didn’t know what was going on.

Steve picked up his head and said, “No, let him come.”

Professor Christianson said, “You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him “

Steve said, “Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut”
Dr. Christianson said, “Okay, Steve, I’ll let you get Jason’s out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut “

Jason, new to the room hardly knew what was going on. “Yes,” he said, “give me a donut.”

“Steve, will you do ten push-ups so that Jason can have a donut “
Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down.

Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve’s arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. Sweat was profusely dropping off of his face and, by this time, there was no sound except his heavy breathing, there was not a dry eye in the room.

The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, “Linda, do you want a doughnut “

Linda said, very sadly, “No, thank you.”

Professor Christianson quietly asked, “Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn’t want ” Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.

Then Dr. Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. “Susan, do you want a donut “

Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. “Dr. Christianson, why can’t I help him “

Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, “No, Steve has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked at my grade book. Steve, here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes. Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut ” As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. “And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, ‘into thy hands I commend my spirit.’ With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, he yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten.” Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. “Well done, good and faithful servant,” said the professor, adding “Not all sermons are preached in words.”

Turning to his class the professor said, “My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid. Wouldn’t you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it laying on the desk “

- Author Unknown

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Christians Now Expected to Act Like Christians

In a shocking bit of news yesterday, several people were told that they “actually had to practice Christianity.” The incident occurred when some residents of the community who call themselves Christians encountered a series of outbursts from hecklers and church dissidents in a local restaurant. According to witnesses, the verbal assault included name-calling, accusations of wrong-doing, some mild cursing and threats. Minor scuffling evidently took place, consisting mainly of pushing and shoving. Some thought that one or two punches were thrown, but that could not be confirmed.

It is not certain at this time what initially provoked the confrontation. Some reports say that poor service the church group allegedly received led them to berate the servers and shift manager. Others believe that a dispute over the bill caused the scene to erupt. The remark that they ought to “practice Christianity” came from one of the police officers dispatched to the scene. The officer who claims to be somewhat of a “Bible buff” quoted several scriptures in attempting to calm down the combatants. His efforts met with vocal opposition from the church members. They openly scorned his taking the role of a preacher.

“It’s outrageous,” one of the Christians said later, in an interview. “Who does he think he is, anyway? We’ve never had to really do this ‘Christian’ thing in real life. We’re sick of this stereotype we have that, you know, we have to take whatever is dished out and, you know, ‘turn the other cheek’ and stuff like that. Well, I’ll turn another cheek alright, but it won’t be my cheek. I’ll turn his cheek black and blue if I get a chance.” The man, who declined to give out his name, was clearly agitated, pacing back and forth in front of the restaurant and repeatedly smacking his fists into his hands. An unconfirmed report was that he was one of the leading members.

“Right,” said a lady who was another member of the church and also spoke anonymously. “Our parents and grandparents were Christians all their lives and they never had to act like one. All of a sudden, here in the twenty-first century, we get this dumped on us. It is offensive, bigoted, prejudiced and motivated by hate.”

Several other church members declined to be interviewed, but threw out statements loudly enough to be overheard. “Just because we’re Christians doesn’t mean we have to take this junk,” one said. “Yeah, what about Christian’s rights?” another yelled. Some began to chant, “Justice now,” but the cries did not catch on.

Bystanders who saw the blowup develop seemed to be genuinely confused. One man told this reporter, “I don’t get it. What about all this love and forgiveness that they talk up in their churches? They ought to be the ones showing the world how to react with peace and orderliness in situations like this. Instead, they’re acting like prima donnas, like the world owes them some kind of special treatment.”

The small crowd that had gathered at the place of business gradually dispersed peacefully to their cars and left. No charges were filed pending investigation. The owners of the restaurant may still take legal action but they were not sure how or when to proceed. No word yet from the author of the Bible on his opinion.

Living With Wings

“They shall mount up with wings as eagles…” Isaiah 40:31

Wrapped around an angel’s celestial form, fluttering with bright yellow swathes through the air or spread out in the predator hawk’s formation, everyone loves wings. They radiate the beauty of fluid and graceful motion. While appearing to work effortlessly, they produce powerful exertions on the air. With wings, the eagle soars, flies, mounts, rises, glides, sails, floats and climbs. With wings, he flies high enough to reach his goal and dwell in high places.

Wings are amazing movable appendages that enable flight and serve a multitude of purposes. They help some birds to dive and swim, they shield eggs or tender young from rain and hot sun during hatching and brooding and they even act as weapons. To ancient civilizations, wings symbolized strength and swiftness. They loom in Belshazzar’s dream of a fierce image, Ezekiel’s dark prophecies, and Zechariah’s visions. Long ago civilizations coveted these attributes of birds, especially of the magnificent eagle, that gave its owners god-like qualities, ascending power, and an untouchable defense against all attackers. Pagan and heathen tribes sculpted likenesses of wings upon their images of worship.

Isaiah tells us that God equips every one who serves Him with a set of wings. Why, then, do so many of us track around in the dirt of troubles and frustrations, trying to survive? Many scratch among the rocks and barren soil for food. Spiritual foes constantly send others squawking, feathers ruffled, running for cover. Could it be that we have not learned to live with our gift of wings?

God incorporated the wings of cherubims into the furniture of the tabernacle. The book of Exodus tells us of the two cherubims placed on the mercy seat. Of all the furniture and utensils available, he set the wings of the cherubs directly over the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant. He wanted the most sacred spot on earth, the very place where the blood of the sacrifice would be sprinkled to atone for sin, to be under the protection of wings. Wings also adorn the seraphims of scripture——those special fiery, always ablaze angelic creatures that exist exclusively for the production of praise and rendering of glory to God. (Isaiah 6:1-2.) Revelation 4:8 says “And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”

For New Testament believers, wings mean far more than objects of beauty or historical throwbacks. They do the same for us spiritually as they do for creatures of flight. Consider the following:

Wings have aerodynamic properties that enable a bird in flight to overcome the force of gravity. Some people wait for God to change their circumstances in life altogether. But God’s plan is for us to use our wings. As the eagle, we live within the reach of sin’s gravity, yet we may be resistant to the will of gravity.

Wings permit the eagle to thrust up and forward in flight; gliding and riding thermal currents; hovering and landing. Likewise, God equips his people to survive in every situation, to defeat any enemy, and to live for Him regardless of the pressures against them.

Wings change the range of a bird’s environment to three dimensions. God gives us wings to provide us with a broad perspective on the world. Believers who use their wings always see life from a manageable perspective.

Wings enable us to “mount up” as eagles. When we mount up, we rise above the sin and evil, the frustrations and aggravations, the sniping and griping, the hatred and attacks prevalent in this world.

Wings mean that we really can live above the world. That’s right, above! Wing strength is the key to living above the world. “…and fowl that may fly above the earth…” Genesis 1:20 “The way of life is above to the wise, that he may depart from hell beneath.” Proverbs 15:24 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.” Colossians 3:2

Is it time to check your wings? Have you forgotten they exist? Are they folded and unused? Are they injured? Have your wings been clipped by misconceptions and intimidation? God did not supply you with spiritual wings for adornment or for rare excursions into exhilarating flight. They are powerful pieces of equipment that you can and must use every day. Learn to live with your wings.

Our Most Audacious Question

“Nay but, O man, who art thou that repliest against God? Shall the thing formed say to him that formed it, Why hast thou made me thus?” Romans 9:20

The picture always seems so ludicrous to me: Puny man, hands on hips, stomping his foot and giving God his most intimidating face. “Why are you doing this?” he dares to interrogate. It’s the miniature versus the Almighty; the finite against the Infinite; the lump of clay versus the Potter; the wisp versus the Whirlwind. It appears as out of place as buck private calling the five star general on the carpet or the newly hired janitor demanding a full debriefing of the firm’s CEO. Yet, man flails on, doing his best to wring an answer out of God.

When sorrow inundates us, Satan torments us, people wound us or life crushes us, we often summon God in for interrogation. When circumstances perplex us, plans fail us, dreams elude us or good fortune slips through our grasp and falls into the hands of an undeserving neighbor, we rashly accost God and demand answers. Are you guilty of asking God questions based on the following reasons?

The Adolescent Why: “I don’t understand.” As spiritually mature as we might be, we are as babies in comparison to the wisdom of the Omniscient One.

The Accusing Why: “How could you do this to me?” We often call God’s motives into question, as though he were driven by vindictiveness or jealousy.

The Anguishing Why: “What did I do wrong?” Tormented by an overblown sense of guilt, we beat ourselves up with self-recriminations. Sometimes our self-deprecation extends from toxic parenting, or from a general sense of rejection in our past. This line of questioning tells more about who we are than an attempt to locate truth.

The Analytical Why: “It doesn’t make sense.” Sometimes, great scientific or mathematical formulas have taken years to develop because certain unknown bits of data were not factored in. Any attempt to analyze God overlooks the fact that we cannot see the whole picture. He sees all the tomorrows that hide from our present view.

The Argumentative Why: “I think you’ve made a big mistake, God.” Sometimes our inflated ego gets so far out of control that we argue with God. We think our logic is superior, our deductions make more sense, or our plan would have led to a more satisfying conclusion.

The Accepting Why: “Not my will but thine be done.” Here’s the secret. “God, I fully accept what you have willed for my life. Help me understand the lesson you want to teach me, show me how it will enrich our relationship, and, through this, make me more useful in your kingdom.” Surrender your right to know what God is thinking. In a theocracy, such a right does not exist anyway.

Good people who lead disciplined, exemplary lives, and who otherwise have it all together wither before the question of “why”. They do not fade because of a personal failure or a moral collapse. They are not wild, crazy or impulsive. They simply cannot negotiate the choices of God.

The bigger your concept of God, the less likely you will be to question him about things you cannot control. Invest implicit faith and trust in God’s lordship. Believe that he loves you: therefore, whatever God causes or allows will somehow redound to your spiritual benefit. From Abel’s murder, to Job’s calamities, from Daniel’s den of lions to Peter’s imprisonment, from King David’s loss of an infant son to the barbarous crucifixion of the Son of God, the Infinite God really does know exactly what is going on. When the results are in, the problems most difficult to understand will undoubtedly be seen as God’s most ingenious forms of blessing.

The Unexpected Consequences of Righteousness

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness…till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”   Hosea 10:12

The sweet returns of right things done in past years are some of life’s most pleasant experiences. A minister friend of mine often thanks me profusely today for kindness I showed to his father while I was a young evangelist. At the time, I was holding revival services for his aging father and chauffeured him to area hospitals, assisted him up and down stairs, and did other things to help him while I was there. It never occurred to me that I was doing anything heroic or worthy of praise. In fact, I wasn’t. I was only doing what seemed to me to be right. But, because of those simple things, I reaped a great friend in the son of this now deceased, elderly minister.

It’s a small example, but it illustrates a principle. When you do right things, you sow to yourself in righteousness. Deed by deed, word by word, you build a reputation that precedes you wherever you go. You reap consequences of your actions that far exceed the effort and investment of the original act! People see what you do and form opinions of your character. Look at these unexpected consequences:

• The implicit trust people give you.
• The troubles you avoid.
• The kindness you receive from unknown persons.
• A clear conscience.
• A positive attitude.
• A God-blessed life.
• The preservation of good health.
• A powerful influence upon others.
• A voice of authority.

These benefits often suddenly appear to you as a beautiful flower garden dazzles your eyes with color when you turn a corner; as a breath-taking scenic view comes into view around a bend in the road; or as a warm smile greets you in a strange place, assuring you that all is well. It’s like sitting down to a gourmet dinner and having someone come by a pick up the check. You often don’t know exactly what brought on the favor. It just pays to live right.

This does not minimize the grace of God in any way. It does remind us that righteousness, holiness, honesty, purity and obedience to God are more than fluff. They are the acts of God through yielded human vessels, and they generate important consequences. Righteous living not only stems from the word of God, it also edifies and strengthens our lives in everyday ways.

Never disdain righteous choices, holy living, honest accounting, or painful obedience. Whatever costs they demand from you, the blessings they bring far exceed the temporary inconveniences.

Make It Count

“… I do not fight like a man beating the air.” I Corinthians 9:26 (NIV)

Shadow-boxers who flail against the air score points with every punch. They breathe hard and break out in a sweat with flurries of activity. They swing at nothing and succeed in hitting it every time. Measured in form and style, dips and jabs, fades and rolls, they put on an impressive show. But, imaginary targets always produce imaginary triumphs. If you measure actual results, they fail miserably. After all, it is only air.

We live in a world of air beaters. Political sparring, poll-driven campaigns, demagoguery, symbolic fights, spin games, negative ads and slashing rhetoric dominate the cultural scene today. Wooden-handled placards that display dire messages, protest marches, cream pies in faces, shouted epithets and shocking one-liners attract as much, if not more attention than legitimate news stories. Media manipulation such as trial balloons, test messages and focus group opinions pass for substance. In fact, none of these tactics have much to do with substance at all. They deal in words, noises and creating of perceptions.

Not only does modern man tolerate such fluffy creations, he clamors for it. Opportunists have answered with huge special effects movies, gigantic slight of hand (magic) shows and pro-wrestling shams where people not only pay big money to be deceived, they get involved in the fakery themselves with stupefying sincerity. Journalists write the stories they want you to believe. Scientists massage statistics so as to shape your opinions. Historians revise the past until it conforms to their political philosophy. Imagination has blurred together with reality until many people don’t know and don’t care about the difference.

The Apostle Paul insisted that his ministry bear no resemblance to an air beater. He was not high stepping through meaningless motions calculated to impress his superiors, peers or followers. In fact, he deliberately shunned “enticing words of man’s wisdom” so he could emphasize the “demonstration of the Spirit and of power.” Air-beating Christianity is fruitless—-and maybe even fraudulent. Why? Three things make the Christian shadow-boxer a pitiful spectacle.

First, he only imagines his target. Don’t conjure up imaginary targets for your spiritual focus. Don’t be more concerned about Satan, a defeated enemy, than with the flesh, a living menace. When you look around the obvious enemies in your life, like anger, jealousy, or carnality, and go after shadows, you indulge in self-deceit. Moreover, your most dangerous enemies may not be antagonists on the job, Satanists or purveyors of false doctrines. Most likely, you should look to your own lack of discipline, fleshly indulgences or pride.

Second, he expends much energy in doing essentially nothing. Genuine Christians should use their store of energy to score real victories and make real spiritual progress. Some people yield to fits of holy fervor that leave them essentially where they started with the same old unresolved issues and knotty problems. Prayer meetings should not be measured in noise, but faith and results. Spiritual demonstrations that don’t translate into solid gains become fanaticism.

Third, he is quite convinced that he has won a major victory. A false sense of victory actually means grave danger. The scriptures teach that the person who thinks he stands should be careful because he may fall. His attitude sets him up for a blind-sided attack. Until he sees metered progress in his thinking and living, he has only spun his wheels. “Let this mind be in you as was also in Christ Jesus…”

Inflated rhetoric, religious hype, and sound and light shows cannot define a genuine experience with God. Jesus Christ did not come to the world as a first century Madison Avenue ad-man who dealt in splashy colors, catchy slogans or artful logos. No illusions, no empty promises, no blind alleys. Jesus spoke true words, performed real miracles and committed himself to a complete mission.

As a child of God, you must make your spiritual life and work count. Focus on real, not imaginary targets. Measure your goals by the Word of God, not by fancied thoughts or dark impressions. Gauge your walk with God by how you think and behave after you leave a Sunday night service, not just how you feel during the service. When you do, those around you will see real truth in action.

Twenty-five Ways To Have Even Better Church Services!

Get up in the morning anticipating a great service.
Plan your day so as not to permit anything to keep you from attending.
Call someone and ask them to come with you.
Pick someone up in your car and bring them to service.
Prepare your heart and mind with repentance.
Arrive early enough to pray before service begins.
Greet visitors with a smile and a handshake.
Avoid talking about heavy or unspiritual subjects before service.
Encourage others to get everything they can from the service.
Sit as close to the front as you can.
Focus on worshipping.
Do not watch the clock.
Actually worship with special singers instead of making them entertain you.
Refuse to allow your mind to wander or become distracted.
Conquer nervousness, impatience and the “fidgets” during the service.
Don’t allow a thoughtless word or act by someone ruin the service for you.
Don’t get up and walk out.
Stay aware of the needs of visitors during the service.
Remain sensitive to the Holy Spirit throughout the service.
Continually ask God to apply the Word to your life.
Intercede for souls at the close of the message.
Assist people who want to pray at the altar.
Offer to attend to someone’s baby or child while they pray.
Thank the minister for the message both generally and specifically.
Determine how you will act differently as you leave the service.

The Construction Business

I love new construction. The smell, feel and excitement of a new building going up always get my juices going. During the construction phase of our church’s building program, every day I drive to the church I am drawn to the worksite as masons, welders, plumbers, electricians and laborers toil away at the project. Sometimes I lend an uncalloused hand and ruin good clothes. I can’t resist.

But hanging around the stacks of block and piles of iron jolts my “preacher’s” thinking processes as well. Fresh insight into spiritual truths leaps out at me at every juncture, because my real job is building lives, not gymnasiums, classrooms, or even sanctuaries. I see connections between the two activities that others may not notice. Here are a few:

Don’t rush the planning. Time and money spent in drawing good plans pays for itself over and over. Because the Bible is our set of plans, we don’t have to redraw them. When building our lives, however, we must pay close attention to the Word of God. Architects do two things. First, they come up with the whole concept. Second, they put it all together and detail it so that the workmen know exactly how to construct the building. Human lives that are shaped into new images must begin with a concept, but the completion of the total project depends upon following the individual details as spelled out in the Bible.

Ultimately, you make the decisions. Sometimes, an owner stands around and looks at a phase of the project for along time. Should we build it this way or that way? Should we put the door here or there? What color should we paint this room? Suggestions, hopes, vague or subtle hints will not work. The serious builder must eventually make hard and fast decisions. Likewise, no one ever transforms into the person God wants him to be without a conscious decision to do so. God supplies the plans and the power, but the decision remains ours to make.

Get the best craftsmen you can find. Never jump into a construction project unless you have people who can do the job right. It doesn’t matter if you have the best plans money can buy. They are meaningless if the craftsmen ignore them or fail to read them. Neither can a person build a life unless he or she continually seeks out the help of godly, righteous and loving people and leaders.

Demolition comes first. Existing structures, trees, parking lots, curbs and any objects in the way must be removed. No life can be transformed unless a person is willing to divest himself of foreign objects that contradict the labors of the builder.

Foundations dictate the integrity of the total project. The foundation must rest on solid ground. It must be level, plumb and square. Even a fraction off at the benchmark results in major problems in the superstructure. Don’t hurry building the foundation for life. Take your time. Get it right. A false foundation causes promising, talented people to suffer collapse.

Be prepared for narrowing options. As work progresses on a building, fewer and fewer changes can be made. The builder must commit to a single placement of a wall, pipeline or doorway. Each person must understand that commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ effectively blocks off every other option. He alone is the Door. Yet, commitment to God represents the highest and best plan for any person. To go another direction is to destroy the will of God.

Finishing touches are essential. No self-respecting builder would erect a magnificent structure and leave it unpainted, untrimmed and cluttered with construction materials. Every new “creature in Christ Jesus” needs to complete the “new man” in beautiful attitudes, holiness unto the Lord, and a servant’s heart. Only then can the new Resident, the Holy Spirit be given the glory and majesty that befits His Name.