Ekklesia: God’s Idea of Churchනියැදිය

Day 13: A church that builds God’s house

With the ever-rising prices of homes and relatively stagnant wages, the goal of owning a home is increasingly difficult for many adults. In order to achieve that goal of becoming a homeowner, some people work tirelessly to save for a deposit, go to countless home viewings and inspections, haggle with brokers and banks just to get locked into mortgages that span decades. People are willing to expend the time and energy because owning a home is a matter of great importance. In that light, how much are we willing to invest in building the Lord’s house?

In Haggai, we see that the exiled Jews had fallen into a similar trap. They had become obsessed with building their own panelled houses, at the expense of the house of God. As a result, the temple of the Lord was left in ruins, worship was abandoned, and the people were worse off overall. The prophet Haggai implored God’s people to repent, and to prioritise the re-building of God’s house.

As believers in Christ, it seems obvious that we should all prioritise the building of God’s house. Jesus encourages us to seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness while trusting God to meet our daily needs (Matthew 6:33). However, living out this truth practically takes faith, especially when we feel like we are living in lack. We can easily fall into the trap of working harder for our worries, rather than trusting in God’s provision. As we step out to build God’s ekklesia, let’s have faith that the Lord will provide for our lives as we put His house first.

Reflect & Respond

• What are you building that occupies most of your time, energy and mind-space? (e.g. career, family, house, education)
• What would you like to trust God to provide as you prioritise building His house?
• How would you practically prioritise the building of God’s church?