Being Rebuilt & Restored

Chapter 3

The Building Team (God): God as Architect, Jesus as the Building Plan, Holy Spirit as Builder

His eyes of faith were set on the city with unshakable foundations,

whose architect and builder is God himself.

—Hebrew 11:10 (TPT)

You realise that you can’t manage this whole transformation process on your own. You ask yourself how you ever believed that you could. Some days you get distracted. You forget and try to pack a stone here and there on your own, only to experience disappointment and frustration as you chisel it out again, and wait for the right guidance. You admit that you lack the right knowledge and that your vision can become limited and distorted. You don’t want to try and do it on your own anymore. Why would anyone try to do something so complicated on their own, if the best company and helper is available? There’s an ongoing battle between your consciousness and subconsciousness that you can’t control, and your faith in your own abilities is shaky.

With your heart being open and prepared, you sense a new dependence in your being. A radical shift has taken place, a humble submission. The guilt and burdens have been handed over with this shift. All the broken places are exposed and instead of experiencing the rejection you have anticipated, grace and healing approach you. From now on, you want to build carefully, the right way.

It’s here, heart exposed, that you are ready to get to know your Building Team. It’s here, that you get to sit in on the greatest meetings of your life! Here, you get to receive and exchange the most amazing ideas within a safe relationship with your Building Team.

It’s at this stage of development, that you start to understand something about God’s strategy and design for humanity and for yourself. Here, that your journey starts in understanding how your unique features form part of it all. You’re not only going to listen to the panel, though there will be times when you’ll be quiet. You’ll be listening and processing. But you’re also going to share your heart and thoughts. You’re going to accept and agree, but you are also, honestly and realistically, going to question the design and purposes of the details at some stages. You have received the freedom to do this from your Building Team. Yes, it’s allowed. The Psalms testify about your freedom to share all your emotions, thoughts, and longings. God called David a man after His own heart (Acts 13:22). Your voluntary contribution is a thing of beauty and great joy to your Building Team. They actually delight in your participation! Without your input, the construction can’t take place. “Do not despise these small beginnings, for the Lord rejoices to see the work begin, to see the plumb line in Zerubbabel’s hand.” (Zechariah 4:10, NLT).

You are safe here. You are loved. Beloved. Be loved.

Your Building Team wants to inform you, but also wants to receive your own input. They also ask for your trust in the areas where your understanding is insufficient. Sometimes you don’t understand the reason or the process, but you are beginning to learn to trust and be patient. There are days you wish that the building process could speed up; days that you want to see the end in sight. But you’re also learning that everything cannot and does not need to take place at your speed, on your timing, or according to your conditions.

The main purpose in life is to construct a building that will last forever. This requires a vision for the eternal future and the laying down of many temporary ideas.

It isn’t always easy to stay focused. There are times that you feel frustrated and ungrateful for the Building Team’s plan and process. There are times that you feel tired and fed-up, ready to grab hold of the next best alternative solution. Fortunately, you have a very stable and reliable Building Team that doesn’t change course. You were informed of this the day you signed the contract. Maybe you signed before reading all the fine print, but you are busy processing all the information and truth. You are busy learning and busy moving your vision for the building structure in line with your Building Team’s vision.

When you look back one day, after the final touches have been added to your building, you will have no words to express your appreciation and amazement. Everything—every single detail—will come together perfectly, making sense and being utterly functional. There will be no regrets that you’ve chosen this Building Team, who actually chose you first.