Rebuilding on Purpose

I remember when I first moved to Atlanta and how  God spoke to me from Haggai 1.  I didn’t quite understand what he was trying to reveal to me at that time because I was too focused on me; thinking about how I could ‘hustle and grind’ to build a better life for me.

I read these words:

“Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins?

Look at what’s happening to you!

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You have planted much but harvest little. You eat but are not satisfied. You drink, but are still thirsty. You put on clothes, but cannot keep warm. Your wages disappear as though you were putting them in pockets filled with holes!

Haggai 1:4-6

A little bit of history, the children of Israel were in captivity for 70 years. During those 70 years, they were displaced from their homeland, the temple of God was destroyed, and they lived in a different nation.

When the Israelites returned home from exile, God called them to rebuild the temple. For many reasons that the Bible talks about they didn’t rebuild it.  They did what you and me would have done after losing everything—they began to rebuild their own lives.

They began to take care of business, not God’s— but their own business.

How could you blame them? If I lost my house, job, or livelihood, my first instinct would be to survive and take care of me. And wouldn’t a just and merciful God understand the circumstance and let them rebuild their lives?

I think sometimes we forget, for whatever reasons, that we have a Father who is rich and holds the storehouses of heaven and that he promises to supply our every need.

Since they chose to take care of their needs first, they neglected to do what God had called them to do.

Neglecting the call of God cost them and no matter how hard they worked they never had enough.  They lived in a state of continual lack.

I feel like this is  us.

We work and work.

We set goals and ambitions.

We take on this hustle and grind mentality, because the idea and belief is that if we work hard enough, believe hard enough, lose as much sleep as we can, visualize a dream we will reach this promise land of success, financial security…happiness.

While I do believe in hard work and sacrifice. I also know that unless the Lord builds a house, the builders labor in vain (Psalm 127:1)

I know what it’s like to work and work and feel like no matter what you do you are in a place of lack. I know what it’s like to see relationships, jobs, and dreams fail after investing so much  time into them.

Time after time, I believed I was putting God first but I never stopped to ask God  if the choices I were making were the paths he was leading me on. Or, if I did ask Him it was after I already made my decisions.

I know in the depths of my heart the call he placed on my life, yet I struggled with choosing to rebuild my life instead of his house. God wants to be first.  People would always quote Matt 6:33 to me–seeking God first, but the truth is so few of us actually believe it. It’s hard to abandon our wills and the life we think we should have to a God that we can’t see or touch.  Some people spend their whole lives working for something that was never what God had for them.

In Haggai, God wasn’t telling the children of Israel that he didn’t want them to live in nice homes, or work hard. What he was saying was put His will first

I can’t tell you what his work for your life is because you’re unique. But, I do know it is to build his house. To share the message of his love and salvation however he has gifted and equipped you. God cares about us more than we care about ourselves.

However  God is calling you to build his house, build it. Because while you take care of that specific  sphere that God has called you to influence, he will take care of you. I’m still learning this lesson.

For some of us, our pockets can be physically empty. Not because you are lazy or not working, but I’ts because you a hustling and grinding for the wrong things and God’s trying to get your attention.

For others it’s a lack in relationships, a failed business, community, peace…the list could go on.

We each have been give an assignment here on earth, and that is to build God’s house.  When the children of Israel realized that they missed God, they immediately turned around and did what he called them to do.  So pray and reflect over your life. Stop and listen to what God is trying to say to you. Obey his leading and take action.

Xo,

Rachelle