There is something about building or cultivating something that has been a part of the human condition since humans reflected on what it is to be human.
That is painted in the flow of scripture. Whether it’s the heavens and the earth or a garden; an ark or a temple; an army or a body there is something being built or something being cultivated. There is an aspect in which the building takes place over time and has an intended outcome in view.
One of the arguments put together for the existence of God from philosophers is called the argument of design. The gist of it is, observing that there is usually a designer behind something designed should lead to an observer noting how complex the ecosystem and universe has been put together which would indicate a grand designer at work. Whether you go for that argument or not, the way the world has been put together certainly indicates a wonder and beauty that is hard to conclude is the result of random occurrences.
Faith in God not only relieves us of the head baggage of how could such a complex world of wonder just randomly come about. It not only does that, though, but this faith also brings us into the perspective of witnessing and being a participant in a glorious building plan. When the writer of Proverbs personified Wisdom, he presented her as someone to whom it was vital to seek to succeed in life. In Proverbs 8:22-31, there is an autobiography of wisdom looking into her place in the construction of creation. The chapter as a whole can almost be read as a pitch for why the way of wisdom is the best one to follow if you want to succeed in anything.
The arrangement, however, is not for us to look for wisdom to be our butler in attendance to provide us with whatever we want. It’s not a consumer product that we can complain to the manufacturer about if it doesn’t do what we got it to do. The arrangement is for us to learn from Wisdom and get an insight into what God is building and how we contribute to that.
Wisdom is key to playing our part and engaging with the wisdom of God as expressed in Jesus Christ helps us to see that God is building three things – character, relationships and community. He opens our eyes to appreciate who He is so we can see who He made us to be. We engage with Him to let His life operate through us and our characters to be transformed to be more like His and less like the world that rejects Him and the self that refuses Him. We are responsible for our character. We take the responsibility seriously by yielding to our Creator to build in us a character that reflects Him in holiness and righteousness. We yield to Him and acknowledge Him as being love that works and acts from the will not just because we feel like it or because we are attracted.
As that character is built it necessarily leads to developing relationships that also reflect how God operates. It won’t be everyone we engage with that will be intentionally looking to build relationships that reflect God. There will be opportunities and individuals with whom that will be possible. Jesus established that the world will know that we follow Him by the relationships – those that are built on Him and express themselves in acts of selflessness, a willingness to be patient and endure with the areas of character still in need of work. Here there is a desire to serve, support and develop each other so that the beauty of Jesus seen in one can be displayed through those relationships.
Where those relationships flow and thrive this leads to the ultimate expression of God’s building plan. It is a temple built together on us as living stones. It is a Body with every part joined together and functioning well without. This is the community of Jesus Christ – without blemish, without wrinkle, without stain, pure and holy, loving and gracious, merciful and kind, resplendent in righteousness, consumed in compassion and totally founded in the truth.
This is what God is building through His wisdom. This is what God is building by His Spirit living in us. He is doing that as we agree to submit to His leading. He is doing this as we pursue His Kingdom first. He is doing this as we appreciate the importance of wisdom that comes from above and daily choose to live by this wisdom.
For His Name’s Sake
Shalom
C. L. J. Dryden
Life With CD 