Have you ever been involved in a building project? If so, you've undoubtedly known the satisfaction of watching a building take shape, of seeing a project move through various stages from an architectural rendering to a completed structure. There's another kind of building, however, that deserves our thoughtful consideration: spiritual building.
As a nomadic people, the early Hebrews were accustomed to pitching their tents for a season and then moving on to greener pastures. And although they eventually established a permanent home in what has come to be known as Israel, various wars and exiles resulted in continuing mobility for their society. It's not surprising, then, that "building" both as a process and as a structure became a metaphor for protection, stability, and permanence. And the Scriptures link the concept of building with spiritual growth.
Christ Jesus used the metaphor of building to convey spiritual lessons, as in his parable of the two men who built their houses, one on rock and the other on sand. See Matt. 7:24-27 Paul, along with other New Testament writers, employed the building metaphor. One of his most thought-provoking statements occurs in his first letter to the Corinthians, where he says, "We are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building." I Cor. 3:9
