Lessons learned during the Home Building Project
From May of 2007 to June of 2008 we worked with 192 volunteers from 41 different church congregations to build a home that we could use when we are back in the United States. It was the most physically demanding time of our lives and in many ways, very spiritually demanding as well. Here’s some of the spiritual lessons we learned through the process:
Lesson #1: To know God — work along side of Him.
You can not really get to know someone by just watching a movie together or seeing them once a week in a church service. If you want to get to know someone then work together. People have told me that they might attend the same church congregation for 20 years, but it was not until they went on a missions trip together, where they worked side by side, that they really learned who each other was. They also learned to see God’s presence in each other.
Likewise, if you want to learn about who God is, then you must join Him in His work.
“My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.”
John 5:17
“Take my yoke upon you and learn of Me, for…”
Matthew 11:29
“I am with you always, until the end of the world”
Matthew 28:20
When Jesus said that He would be with us always, the context was the Great Commission. That is, that as you obey me and go into all the world, making disciples of all nations, then I will be with you.
If you want to know God more, be about His work. Things like hospital visitation, ministering to widows and orphans, helping someone in need in your neighborhood, getting His Word to the ends of the Earth. All of these and many more are ways that you can work with the Father and get to know Him better. You won’t come to know God more by watching a football game for example.
Lesson #2: Jesus did the hardest work.
Someone said to me “I like working with you (Ken) because you don’t ask anyone to do a job that you wouldn’t do.”
That’s right. I made sure that if someone was coming to volunteer that they were not given a job I myself was not willing to do. There were some tough jobs. Muddy jobs. Messy jobs.
In our spiritual lives, God will never ask us to do something that He has not already felt the pain, felt the weight of that task. In fact He did far beyond what He asks us to do. Jesus carried our load of sin and that is something He does not ask us to do. The Bible says:
He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were …
1 Peter 2:24
For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinful men so that you do not become weary and loose heart….
Hebrews 12:3
Lesson #3: Don’t underestimate what your small effort can do.
Remember the story of feeding the multitudes? If that young child had said, “What I have can’t amount to much.”, then he never would have given it. But it takes the faith of a child – the kind of faith Jesus said we should have to let God use you.
A little help goes a long way. So much can be gained if we would obey this Bible verse:
But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. …
Hebrews 3:13
During the building process people gave us gifts of materials, some lent tools and others gave tools. When I was working alone with no one around, I was still very much encouraged because I was using a drawknife that John gave me, or a concrete hoe that Lewy gave me. They may have thought little of it, but their gifts greatly encouraged my soul.
Lesson #4: At this time on the earth, God works though us.
Sure God can do anything without us, but for now He has determined that He will work through us. The house was not built except by people who were willing to allow God to work through them.
Prayer is so important. I believe that nothing is accomplished except by prayer. Yet there also comes a time for us allow God to use us and we must begin to actually do the task He has given us.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27
The ten biggest words in the English language are all two letters:
“If it is to be, it is up to me”.
Lesson #5: Having a place here on earth is nice but it can’t compare with what God is working on for us.
Working on the home often reminded me of Jesus’ words:
If I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again. Then I will bring you into my presence so that you will be where I am. …
John 14:3
It helped to remember that He has something better in store for us. The singer, Keith Green said, “If he built this world in six days and he’s been working on our place since he left, we’re living in a garbage can.”
Lesson #6: There is lots to do, but where are the laborers?
Building a home with volunteers is a lot like what I have seen in missions over the last 20 years. Those that get involved:
- Will find lots of work.
- They will be blessed.
- They will see things they never saw before
- And accomplish things they never did before
But sadly, most people won’t get involved. They don’t understand the importance of them helping. We were thankful for everyone who came but still felt that more people could have been blessed by helping.
Jesus said this
The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few:
Luke 10:2
Lesson #7: God’s call is broad – to everyone, but few think its for them.
I sent out many emails asking people to join us but few think it’s for them. I did mean it for them. God does mean what He says in His Word for you!.
Lesson #8: It’s a great joy when we realize that God wants to work through us.
When we realize that this is how God works on earth — through us— it blows our mind, to think that He can work through us. It makes us feel humbled yet also built up in our spirit. God counts us worthy, no matter how unfaithful we have been in the past. It makes us feel privileged and we are blessed inside to know He has counted us (by His Grace) worthy to be used of Him.
For it is God who is at work in you…
Philippians 2:13
Lesson #9: Don’t wait till your own situation is perfect before being used of God.
People who came to help us had many things to do on their own homes. Some had walls that needed painted, doors and plumbing that needed repaired, and dishes in the sink. But if they waited till their own homes were perfect they would never have come to help us.
Spiritually, you are never going to be perfect in this life either. Don’t expect to have all your ‘ducks in a perfect row’ spiritually before God can use you. Make yourself available now. In fact, you won’t grow spiritually until you learn to do God’s work in your imperfect, unfinished state.
Don’t wait till you’re perfect. It’s in going that we are changed.
But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the exceeding greatness of the power may be of God, and not from ourselves…
2 Corinthians 4:7
Lesson #10: We need to work now while we can.
Many people wanted to come and help. Although we were blessed with nearly 200 volunteers we could have used many more. How many people did not come because they were too busy with their own affairs or did not think they could help? How many people are not doing God’s work today because they are busy with their own affairs.
Some day God’s work for us will be done on this earth. Then it will be too late to do what you wish you could have done.
” The road to hell is paved with good intentions.”
“As long as it is day, we must do the work of Him who sent me.”
John 9:4
Lesson #11: We live by faith.
It was a test of our faith to see if this project would succeed. We had a limited amount of time to finish and return to work in Africa. There would be a big loss in many ways if the project did not succeed. There was risk involved. We did not proceed without council but no one could guarantee that we would succeed.
It took faith. But by God’s grace the work was finished and through it our faith grew. Maybe your faith has never grown because you were never willing to take a risk. Maybe you suffered a loss, or a defeat and your faith has suffered. We encourage you to trust God again and see what He can do when you give Him your dreams.
…that the trial of your faith, which is more precious than gold that perishes even though it is tested by fire, may be found to result in praise, glory, …
1 Peter 1:7
It takes Faith. – willing to risk, but if you do your faith will grow.
Lesson #12: We can’t do it correctly alone.
If we are not willing to let others check our work we’re likely to make mistakes. There were situations in building in which I felt people were qualified and I let teams go about the tasks without any supervision. Sometimes it took the next team of volunteers to come and correct what the first team had done. It was my partially fault because I did not check the work.
In our spiritual lives we need to be willing to be accountable to others and be willing to help others be accountable. You might think you can accomplish many things by yourself, but when we allow others to check our work, it helps us to know how beneficial our work really is.
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.
Proverbs 27:17
Lesson #13: Being busy about the Lord’s work will keep you from sin.
Simply being busy with the building project kept me from things that were not helpful to me spiritually — like more TV. I don’t grow spiritually be watching TV. In fact, it draws me away from the Lord. The more I can be about ‘the Fathers work’ the more I’m less about the Enemy’s work.
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us.
2 Thessalonians 3:6
“Idle hands are the devils workshop”.
Lesson #14: You need to be in shape physically and spiritually.
Lots of people could not help us because they were not physically in shape. Did you know that most missionary agencies will not accept you if you are ill or out of shape physically.
We need to be in shape physically and spiritually to do God’s work.
…but I discipline my body, and bring it into bondage: lest by any means, after that I have preached to others, I myself should be rejected…
1 Corinthians 9:27
Lesson #15: God’s call needs to be obeyed the first time.
Someone told me to let him know when I would be working so he could come over and help. A day or so later I called him up and invited him to come but he was busy with another activity. Being a (wrongfully) proud person, I am not really akin to asking people to help. I did not know about the spiritual condition of this person and did not know how they would feel about me asking again. I did not want to appear pushy, so I never asked them again. I felt that I invited them once and ‘the ball was now in their court’ to respond.
Has God called you but you haven’t responded? Do a check and see if the ‘ball is in your court’. Don’t wait on God to call you a second time. He’s already invited you to join His harvest.
If you’ve heard God’s call and you haven’t answered it it’s up to you to answer the first call.
Blessed is the man who always fears the Lord, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
Proverbs 28:14
Lesson #16: Let’s keep our eye on the real goal
Accomplishing the physical work is not really the goal God has in mind. The goal is Christ formed in us, that we would become more like Him. The physical work may be a means God uses to form us to be like Christ but we need to be careful that we don’t think the material task at hand is the goal.
To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
Colossians 1:27
Lesson #17: Life is a choice
There’s no limit to the number of excuses I can come up with to not doing God’s work. I have to make a choice to be involved or not.
Too busy? This is a sobering thought from God’s Word:
Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is vile continue to be vile; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.
Revelation 22:11
If you are stuck in the “too busy” rut, then you may not be able to get out of it soon, even if you want to.
What we lack is not time, but heart. Henri Boulard.
Lesson #18: We don’t live by our feelings
We are not to go by our feelings (seek emotional satisfaction) but be glad in our hearts that we have obeyed the Lord and have been used of Him.
When people came to help on the Missionary Home Building Project I wanted them to find joy in helping. I wanted it to be a good emotional experience. But I realized that it probably didn’t feel all that great. I personally have also helped other missionaries build their homes and I didn’t feel that great about it. I would have rather gone fishing.
We’re not serving the Lord for the great feeling we get from it, but that God may be glorified in what we do.
By faith Moses, when he was grown, refused to be known as the son of Pharaoh’s daughter. He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a short time.
Hebrews 11: 25
Lesson #19: The more you work you do, the stronger you become [spiritually].
I physically became stronger as I worked more. My muscles became stronger the more I did. Spiritually the more we attempt for God the more we can become stronger in Him.
“whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle”
Hebrews 11:34
“We don’t change the message but the message changes us.”
Lesson #20: We treat others with care.
Everyone who came to volunteered was much appreciated and we tried to treat them that way. Each person was looked at as valuable. We overlook minor offenses and focus on the blessing the person is.
Hey, not everyone was an expert at construction. Realizing that I was not an expert either and keeping that in mind helped me to appreciate whatever others contributed to the project.
Are we treating others in the church that way? Do we value them being a part of the body?
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
1 Corinthians 12:27
Lesson #21: It will take longer than you think.
There’s more to do than you expected, some jobs will have to be done over two or three times.
I recently memorized 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 where Paul talks about his hardships. He talks in this passage about enduring beatings, imprisonments, hunger and dishonor. But at the start of it all he mentions, by God’s grace the endurance he was given:
…in great endurance…
2 Corinthians 6:4
We need endurance to finish this course.
Lesson #22: Time flies by.
Your chance at serving the Lord will be over before you realize it.
We would have liked to have been in the home in October but months just went by so quickly. Before you know it your life will be over and what will you have done for Christ?
As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field, the wind blows over it an it is gone,…
Psalm 103:15-16
“Only one life will soon be past; only what’s done FOR Christ will last.”
Lesson #23: The things of the world consume us.
One man said that it would be easier for him to plan and get away on a short term foreign missions trip than to come and help me at the project. There are just to many things in our daily lives distract us from getting involved in helping others right where we are.
Fortunately this man did choose to take the time to help us many days, yet he felt that tug of so many things in our life that distract us from what God has called us to.
… but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.
Mark 4: 19.
Conclusion:
God is always trying to teach us and make us more into the image of His Son, Jesus Christ. But are we listening to what He is saying? Do we want to grow? Do we want to change? Do we want to bear fruit?
We can’t do it without a decision. Decide now to put what He has taught us into practice.
