Building Blocks

By Alexandra Copeland

A couple of years ago, I met a middle-aged man that had battled a brutal addiction to drugs and alcohol. I heard about him many years before actually meeting him, because he used to be a person of some prominence in the area. He knew all the right people, had good connections that he could count on, and he had a very good job. Not only does he have charisma, he’s well-versed in a number of subjects and can captivate anyone with his conversation. Just as I had heard of his success, I also heard about his troubles and what others considered to be his fall from grace. He lost everything; his marriage, a healthy relationship with his children and other family members, and his standing as a pillar of the community.

After trying all kinds of schemes to get money, running from drug dealers, and being incarcerated, this man decided that he would rededicate himself to the Lord and attempt to rebuild his life. I have watched him struggle to do this, and it hasn’t been an easy road for him. Many of us don’t have as many obstacles to navigate through as he does, but we will all come to a place in life where the things we’ve depended on in the past can no longer serve or support us in the present or future. It will be necessary to rebuild, and the most important building blocks are forgiveness, faith, and following the Will of God more closely than we have before.

Forgiveness
Forgiveness is an essential building block in life, period! God has given us many examples in His Word of people who have exhibited tremendous faith in Him. Hebrews 12:1 tells us that since we have these wonderful witnesses to the life of faith, we must strip off every weight, especially sin, because these things slow us down from running our race with endurance. God has given every individual a race to run, and the thing that slows our momentum and sometimes paralyzes our every effort is the weight of baggage we carry in our souls. Resentment and the failure to forgive are the equivalent of a mountain made of quicksand. They render us immobile—incapable of moving with any degree of grace and light.

The insidiousness of an unforgiving heart is that it harbors resentment, and then becomes a magnet, attracting situations and circumstances that make it comfortable and keep it in tact. The weight of this resentment can build like a snowball, becoming larger and heavier the longer it is allowed to hide out in our hearts. Often, when we experience a major hiccup in life, it is because we’ve reached a point where God is telling us that we have to do something before this weight become utterly catastrophic. We must seek His forgiveness for carrying this stuff so long, and we must seek the forgiveness of those we’ve injured, and to forgive those that have injured us along the way as well.

Faith
There is tremendous power in the faith of Jesus Christ. He said in Mark 9:23 that all things are possible to the person that believes. Hebrews 11:1 tells us that faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. When we’re at a point in life where it is evident that we need to make a change, we must have faith God is with us even though things are difficult. Not only must we be certain that He will never forsake us, but we must trust He wants what is best for us always.

In John 15:5, Jesus Christ tells us that He is the vine and we’re the branches; we can’t do anything without him. Many people want to believe they are independent agents, and they can do things on their own. We can’t. We fall on our faces and end up injuring ourselves and others. God created us to be children, and no matter our age, we will always desperately need Him, and it is His good pleasure to help us. We must have faith in this truth with our whole hearts.

Follow
Again, God wants what is best for us, and not only this, He knows what is best for us. We tried doing things our way, and it didn’t work out the way we expected. The beauty He reveals is that no many how many times we fall, He will help us get back up again. There must be a willingness on our part to change some of the behaviors and attitudes that worked against His love. He tells us in Romans 12:2 (NLT), “Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”

Following God’s Will will lead us to a truly fulfilling and productive life. We don’t know the future. We couldn’t possibly see and know all that God sees and knows. Therefore, we always need to allow Jesus Christ to be in the driver’s seat. He will steer us to endless possibilities. Proverbs 3:5-6(NLT) tells us, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.” God knows what is best for us, and if we’ll trust Him with all our hearts, He’ll reveal His plan for our lives and lead us to a life that exceeds our expectations.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. 

“Building Blocks” by Alexandra Copeland. Springfield Fellowship © 2019. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.