Begin Building with God

1 Now the whole earth had one language and the same words. 2 And as people migrated from the east, they found a plain in the land of Shinar and settled there. 3 And they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks, and burn them thoroughly.” And they had brick for stone, and bitumen for mortar. 4 Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed over the face of the whole earth.” 5 And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower, which the children of man had built. 6 And the Lord said, “Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language, and this is only the beginning of what they will do. And nothing that they propose to do will now be impossible for them. 7 Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another's speech.” 8 So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. 9 Therefore its name was called Babel, because there the Lord confused[a] the language of all the earth. And from there the Lord dispersed them over the face of all the earth. Genesis 11:1-9

We are all building something with our lives. Some of us are building a career, some a business, and some a family. We may be doing all three. Yet, what are we dedicating these things to? In this scripture, the descendants of Noah were defying God's instructions to "be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth" (Genesis 9:1). Instead, they wanted to erect a tower to signify their greatness as a rallying point and trophy. If this is where they continued to gather year after year, they wouldn't have migrated through out the earth.

If you are listening for the Lord, then you will hear his instruction. In some cases, His instruction may conflict with what you are building for yourself. Would it be wrong of the Lord to confuse your thoughts or to thwart your plans if it was not His purpose for your life?

"How could He?!" is what you might ask yourself.

"Why would God do this?" is what you might think.

Here are some points to ponder:

1. Your life is not your own. You may have the ability to make your own decisions and to take responsibility for your actions. But your life affects others and it affects God. Being self-centered is forgetting that you are connected to something much greater than yourself.The clearest perspective may be through the eyes of God. In this great play of life, humanity and our world, the audience is God and the heavenly host. We are players in a grand performance. Our roles may be significant and a spectacle to behold, but it is God's lens that will show us what the outcome should be.

2. Begin with God as the starting point of your building. Christ is called the cornerstone because He upholds all believers according to his Spirit. Having a relationship with God is the best place to begin, because if you know what His plans are, then you can determine where you fit in. If the descendants of Noah asked God what he thought the Tower of Babel should look like, I'm sure His design would have been much different.

3. Consider confusion as a reason to get back with God. He is likely directing you onto a different path- His.

Father,

May I always begin with you. Just as I awake and thank you for the day ahead, may I take my directions from your Spirit.