Chuck Swindol of Insight for Living told a story that went something like this: There were three bricklayers working at a job site. A passerby watched them for a while, then he asked the first bricklayer, “What are you doing?” “I’m laying bricks,” the bricklayer replied. The passerby nodded silently.
He then asked the second bricklayer, “What are you doing?” “I’m building a building,” the second bricklayer answered. “I see,” said the passerby.
The passerby asked the third bricklayer, “What are you doing?” The third bricklayer smiled and said, “I’m building a church for God.” The passerby raised his eyebrows, but said nothing.
The passerby thought about their answers and concluded that the first bricklayer laid brick because that was his job. Nothing more – just a job to earn money.
The second bricklayer laid brick because he had a goal – to build a building as something to show for his time at a job.
The third bricklayer laid bricks with his eyes toward heaven. He worked as though onto the Lord.
Swindol applied a spiritual message to the bricklayer analogy with encouragement to each one of us. When we are called by the Lord to a specific task, “Do the thing you know” In other words, use the gift(s) you know the Lord has given you and put it to work out of obedience to Him. After all, God won’t steer a stopped vehicle nor can He lead if you are at a standstill. We have to get up and move!
Imagine the heavenly Father sending His only Son to earth to die on the cross in order to pay the penalty for our sins, and Jesus had the attitude of ho-hum. I’ll be glad when this day is over or that’s a goal I hope I can achieve.
How much greater to realize that Jesus – feeling the gravity of the situation of lost mankind – with love in His heart and His eyes fixed on the heavenly Kingdom, coming to earth to accomplish the greatest work in the history of the world – the salvation of sinners!
What do you think the first bricklayer said when the job was completed? “Glad that’s done with!” How about the second bricklayer – what do you think he said? “All in a day’s work!” How about the third bricklayer? He may have said the same words as Jesus with a great sense of fulfillment.
“It is finished!”
Those were Jesus’ last words before He bowed His head in death. But, His life didn’t end there. Three days later, Jesus arose in victory over sin and death for you and for me! Such passion for His work on the cross and His obedience to His Father cannot be duplicated, imitated, or even comprehended by mankind, but it can serve as an example for us that whatever task is at hand, let’s do it as though unto the Lord Jesus Christ. Let’s strive to serve the Lord with gladness.