Playing With Blocks

Love you all, praying for you.
 
I just love God’s Word.  It gives actionable truths in steps that bring success.  Above all else, get wisdom.  I just love Proverbs – that chapter that God gives you for every day – the wisdom you need – just in time.  I love the short verses, the simple truths, that remind you, that you can fully depend on, and put into practice – that always bring the fruit of wisdom in your life.  Proverbs 14:1 – The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.  Some things in life are complex, they have many inputs, many factors and conditions, and depending on certain things happening, then other things have to happen… but this is not one of them.  This is simple.  You are either building.  Or you are tearing down.  Your faith, your peace, your hope, your joy, your marriage, your children, your relationships, your household, your progress, even your destiny! You are either wise or foolish, you either build or tear down.  Building and tearing down start with a thought, and the thought that becomes thoughts that you entertain, and give mental real estate to.  Whether doubt or unbelief that comes from a question or disappointment, that you allow to turn into doubt or unbelief.  Something didn’t happen the way you hoped, or blindsided you from out of the blue, whether unfairness, or injustice, or inconvenience, or legitimate threat of loss.  Your thoughts – that you allow to fester and grow – will either build or tear down.  The next building block after thoughts are words.  Thoughts you give word to.  Words of doubt or unbelief, or accusation or slander will tear down.  But words that believe, that believe the best, that cover over wrongs – those words will build your house, and build your faith, and build your humility, and build your joy.  Words will build you or undo you. They will lock in and add to what was being built… or tear down what was becoming good.  A third block that builds or tears down - obedience.  Obedience builds – Ignorance, or disobedience or delayed obedience – tears down.  Anytime you take God at His Word, receive what He said – for you, and do it.  It builds.  Have you ever played with a toddler?  Building with blocks?  Every time you build a tower.  What does the child do?  They have to knock it down – so the blocks scatter.  Why?  Because they are a child.  Children are not wise, wisdom comes with truth and obedience over time.  Children don’t have that yet.  Some adults act like children, they will try to knock down your blocks, and they knock down their own, sometimes all at once, but more often one by one.  Is that you?  Are you like the foolish woman or the wise one?  Do you build or tear down?  With thoughts and words, and obedience?  The next block that either builds or tears down – Diligence.  Diligence builds, laziness tears down.  If you’re lazy, you’re tearing down.  There’s a time to rest, but there’s a time to work. If you have no interest in work, in doing what needs to be done at the time appointed.  Things that should already be finished, aren’t even started, stealing from you the opportunity to do the new thing, the bigger thing that God would have brought - because you now have to do the smaller things, and you may not even not do them at all.  Little things build character before big things.  Some people never get to the big things – because they have never learned to be faithful in the little.  So they are never given the opportunities – that they could have had if they possessed the diligence that builds, rather than the laziness that tears down, like the foolish woman – who tears her house down.  Habits are another block that either build or tear down.  The lack of good habits, by default creates a different habit.  People don’t lack habits, everyone has them.  They’re just one of two kinds.  Habits that build, or habits that unbuild, that take you backward not forward.  Praying that you would be like the wise – that build their house, not the foolish that tear theirs down.  Another block that builds or tears down – listening before speaking builds.  Speaking before listening tears down.  Some marriages and relationships suffer from unkind words.  Rather than trying to eliminate them, just listen first.  Build and you won’t tear down.  If you listen, unkind words are null and void.  The opportunity to say them up front, no longer exists, because your goal is to listen - not just to what they say – but what they feel.  Sometimes what someone says really just reflects how they feel, not what’s completely true.  Praying that you will understand the choice you face today.  Be wise or be foolish.  Build or tear down.  Praying that your thoughts, your words, your obedience, your diligence, your habits, and your listening – has you always building.  And finally, the two things that are guaranteed to build!  His Plans, and His Word – if you know and follow His plans for you today – you will always be building!  If you know His Word today – wisdom will reside in you, comfort, confirmation, commitment and contentment.  Wisdom always builds – His Word that’s written, and His Word to you – will always build, they’ll never tear down.  You’ll be the wise, not the foolish, your house will be great, and the blessing even greater.    
 
Love you all,
dad