An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of thirty-five years that he planned to leave the house-building business and enjoy life to the fullest. The employer was sorry to hear this and asked if the man, who had become a good trusting friend, could build just one more house as a personal favour. The carpenter hesitated but finally agreed.
Over time it became apparent that the carpenter’s heart was not in his work. At the outset, the integrity of the foundation was questionable. He had ignored the need to drill deeper to a rock base and had settled for a sandy one instead, a decision he kept secret from his employer.
Matthew 7:24-27 – Jesus’ words
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
The seasoned carpenter did not implement his years of experience and expertise; on the contrary, he resorted to inferior workmanship and materials. He knew that no one would ever know that substandard wood was behind the drywall and low-quality material made up the bulk of the house.
Proverbs 20:17
“Bread gained by deceit is sweet to a man, but afterward his mouth will be full of gravel.”
When the carpenter finished his work, his employer came to inspect the house. Then he handed the front door key to the carpenter and said, “This is your house, my gift to you for your dedicated excellence over these many years.” The carpenter was shocked and felt great regret; however, the regret he felt was not for his choice to produce careless and inferior work. Rather, if he had known he was building his own house, he would have taken greater care in how he built it.
Proverbs 11:3
“The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.”
In much the same way a house is built, we build our lives: we lay a foundation with our attitude and behaviour, we hammer nails with our words, both heard and unheard, and we construct walls with our actions and choices. And throughout every day we face the integrity challenge. Are we being honest as we make decisions, or do we resort to little white lies and deceitful choices? Do we speak with respect, gentleness, and kindness, or do we slander a friend in their absence? Are we putting our best into the building of our lives and making choices that are in tune with our relationship with Christ, or are we conforming to the pattern of the world?
Romans 12:2
“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
Whether we realize it or not, every day we are observed and judged by our attitudes and actions, and what the world sees reveals whether or not Christianity is true. Our lives must be built on integrity from the foundation we lay to every nail we hammer.
“The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.”
Proverbs 10:9
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