Rev. Ray and Pat Amos

Building Christian Character

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Matthew 7:24

There are two ways to have the tallest building in town: You can tear down everyone else’s building, or you can work hard to build your own. Most of us are not interested in having the tallest building, but we all can strive to have a tall life.

A little boy couldn’t get his sandcastle to stand. Instead of trying again, he just ran down the beach kicking the others down. It seems like a lot of that kind of thing is going on in our society. We have become quiet skilled in the work of social demolition; a life can be torn down with a single word or sentence.

Could it be that some people have a clear notion of what they hate, and what they mean to destroy; but no clear notion of what they want to create? We are living in a time when so many seem to prefer tearing down the lives, dreams and hopes of others simply because it is easier than building.

Building Christian character is hard work. It requires us to put down all self-centeredness in exchange for Christ centeredness; and to build on what is noble, kind and good. To believe that even the smallest deed done in Jesus’ name is another building block in a taller and better world.

There is a time to break down, and a time to build. Sitting on the sideline is not an option. We give or we take, we build or we break; what in the world are we going to do today?

Grace and Peace, Rev Ray (1/24/2019)