She Builds

“Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it.” – Psalms 127:1 (NKJV)

“Through wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established.” – Proverbs 24:3 (NKJV)

If I asked you to think of attributes that would best describe a woman, you would probably be able to list many things. You might say feminine, sensitive, wise, emotional, multi-tasking, or any one of hundreds of words…but would you include the term builder?

When we hear the word builder we think of a burly man with rough hands, worn-out jeans, steel-toed boots, hard hat and tool belt. This is a fair description of a builder, but it is definitely not the only one! I love to watch how women build. If you give a woman groceries, she’ll build a meal. If you give her love, she’ll build a family. If you give her a house, she’ll build a home. If you give her a friend, she’ll build trust. If you give her a pair of shoes, she’ll build an extra shelf in her closet. Women are innate builders. God has created us that way.

“The wise woman builds her house,” Proverbs 14:1 says, “but the foolish woman pulls it down with her hands” (NKJV). That is pretty heavy stuff! We are called to be women who build life. Sadly, as much as I have seen women excel in building, I have also seen them be just as good at tearing down. My flesh seems to always see the negative and would rather pick apart the things that are wrong. But one day I heard the Lord speak so clearly to me: “Rachel, you can be a woman, or you can be a woman of God.” I knew right away exactly what the Lord wanted me to hear. Any woman can tear down, but a woman of God builds up.

The question to ask is, “What am I building, and is it exactly what God wants me to build?” I love the scripture, “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it” (Psalms 127:1 NKJV). That is wonderful news! It’s really not our job to come up with the building plan or blueprint. Our job is to let the master builder, Jesus, come and do a great work within and through us. We have a lost and hurting world that is searching and crying out for someone to build them up – to speak life to them.

• Our children need us to build them up. We need to be the kind of women who see deeper into our kids than maybe what they are portraying at the moment.
• Our husbands need us to build them up. I’m not talking about correcting them. I am talking about speaking to the man that you know God wants him to be.
• Our church and its leaders need us to build them up. They need us to speak life and faith and encouragement into them.

In fact, everyone within our sphere of influence needs us to build them up. Our friends, family, co-workers, and acquaintances all need to know of the life that Jesus gives. Why not show them firsthand? Decide today that you won’t be the one tearing your own, or anyone else’s house down. Begin building a beautiful, strong, and vibrant life through Jesus, our master builder, and He will give you the plans and tools you need to move forward with building up the lives around you.

Every builder relies on tools. Here are three tools for building well:

1. Seek God for the blueprints. Remember that unless He builds it, we labor in vain.
2. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Remember that it’s not your job to decide how to build. Allow God to give you opportunities and place you in a position to be His builder.
3. Look at difficult situations with an open mind. Don’t see mountains or obstacles as overwhelming. Speak life over them, and watch what happens!