This Old House

Jim was a master carpenter who worked for a construction company on the East Coast. He had spent his entire adult life working for various contractors and building firms and he was very good at what he did. His work was flawless and his reputation for quality work was legendary. Jim always used the best materials, always worked carefully, and never settled for anything but the best. The houses he made were among the best and most beautiful on the entire Eastern Seaboard. 

A life of hard physical labor was starting to take its toll on Jim. Lately, he wasn't able to work as quickly as he had in the past and every morning, his joints gave him trouble. Some days, it was almost impossible to get out of bed, much less go to work and spend the day going up and down ladders and carrying lumber. Jim didn't place much stock in doctors, but when his doctor told him he had arthritis, he believed it. Jim thought about it for a while, and he finally decided that it was time to retire.

When Jim broke the news to his boss, he was devastated. "I'd really hate to lose you, Jim. You've been my best worker for as long as I can remember. You're my go-to man for all the tough and complicated jobs because you always handle them so well. You sure it's time to hang it up?" Jim replied, "Yeah boss, I'm sure. I'm not as young as I used to be and I just can't work at the same pace anymore. It's time."

Jim's boss was sad to see him go, but he had one final request for him before he retired. "I know it'll be tough Jim, but could you do me one last job? I've got some plans for a house here and...well Jim, I wouldn't trust them with anyone but you. You think you're up to it?" No, I won't build you another house, Jim thought to himself. I'm retiring. Right here, right now. That's it. But then he began to think of how good his boss had been to him over the years. He would do it, he decided, but his heart wouldn't be in it.

Jim took the plans home with him and studied them that night. It would be a small house, but a nice one. It was a single floor building, but the rooms were spacious and there was an attached garage. He envisioned the house in his mind, and he liked what he saw. It would make a good home for a bachelor like himself. But deep down, he didn't want to make the house---he was only doing it as a favor for his boss. I won't have to live there, and my boss can't fire me, Jim thought to himself. Immediately, he started thinking of ways to cut corners.

The house should've taken four months to build, but Jim did in two and a half. He used warped plywood and crooked boards and he was careless when he measured. He didn't live up to his reputation for being meticulous and it showed in his work. After Jim finished building the house, his boss came to inspect it. He noticed that some of the walls were crooked and that the floor was uneven. The ceiling was already showing signs of water damage because the roof leaked. Instead of the impressive, well-built house that Jim's boss expected, he found shoddy construction and careless mistakes.

Disappointed, Jim's boss frowned. "I expected better from you, Jim. I really did. You see, Jim," his boss said sadly, "this house was my retirement present to you."

*     *     *     *     *

What if Jim had known about his boss' retirement gift? He almost certainly would've done a better job on the house. As a matter of fact, since it was going to be his house, he probably would've been even more careful and meticulous than he had been with other peoples' houses. Jim made some bad choices because he didn't think he'd ever have to face the consequences.

What Jim did wasn't right, but at least he had an excuse. He honestly didn't know that he would have to deal with the aftermath of his decisions, so he knowingly made some bad calls. Like Jim, we all make bad choices from time to time, but unlike Jim, we don't have an excuse. We know for certain that all of our choices will have consequences---if not in this life, then certainly in the next.

The Bible often compares a man's life to a house and while this may seem like a strange comparison to make, it's actually a very good one. A man's individual decisions ultimately affect the course of his entire life, just as the individual components of a house affect the integrity of the entire building. Jesus once told a story about two men who both set out to build a house:

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash."

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

The first man made good decisions in his life. He listened to the words of Jesus and obeyed them; he built his life on the firm, rock-solid foundation of the Word of God. As a result, when the storms of life came, he was able to stand firm. The second man made poor decisions. While he heard the words of Jesus, he didn't actually take them to heart. He chose to build his life on the shifting sand of worldly pleasures and sinful passions. His foundation was weak, so when trials came, he wasn't able to withstand them.

The choices we make now will affect our lives here on earth. Good choices---paying attention in school, for example---will often produce favorable outcomes. If you get good grades in high school, there's a good possibility that you'll get into a good college. In the same way, bad choices will usually produce bad consequences. Young people who get caught up in bad habits like smoking and drinking often have to deal with painful addictions when they get older.

The choices we make now will also affect our lives after we die, which isn't something we think about very often. We don't think about our decisions as often as we should, and when we do, we usually only consider the earthly outcomes. The consequences of a man's decisions will often outlive him:

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.

1 Corinthians 3:11-15 (NIV)

This passage speaks specifically to us as Christians. If we're truly saved, we have Jesus Christ as our foundation. The rest of the house is up to us, however. A house built with gold, silver, and precious stones won't be harmed by a fire, but a house made of wood and dried grass will be totally destroyed. 

A life filled with good, God-honoring choices is like a house made of precious metals and gems. If we devote ourselves to following Christ wholeheartedly, we can be confident that God will be pleased with us when we stand before Him in heaven. If we're only lukewarm about living for God and we only follow Him when we feel like it, however, God will be disappointed. If a person is truly saved, God won't kick them out of heaven for a life of bad decisions, but He won't be happy either. Like the house of wood and straw, a life of poor choices won't satisfy His test.

Don't be like Jim. Your decisions will have a lasting effect on your life, so think before you act. Make sure your foundation is solid and remember that only good choices will stand up to God's test of fire.

Are you building your house on the Rock or in the sand? What kind of building materials are you using?