The Carpenter

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. His boss was sorry to see him go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart wasn’t into it. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used cheap materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career. When the carpenter was finished, his boss handed the front-door key to him and said, "This is your house. It’s my gift to you." What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we’ve built. Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It’s the only life you will ever build.

“So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught and overflowing with thankfulness.” (Colossians 2:6-7)