Have you ever built something? Have you ever assembled a toy or furniture item? Have you ever sewn a dress or shirt or pair of pants or quilt? How did you feel when you completed one of these? Have you ever torn something down? How did that make you feel?
Building and tearing down are two very different tasks. They are opposites of one another. One is producing something new. The other is often removing something old. Building something new can give us great joy. Tearing down something old can leave us feeling empty or forlorn.
The same can be said for building up a person or tearing them down. Building up a person can make us feel good. When we see them succeed where they had previously failed can be a great joy. Building a person may include encouragement, praying for them, counseling, and even physical assistance. One thing it always includes is a time investment. We must intentionally spend time building them.
Tearing down a person is an act of evil. There are no two ways about it. Tearing down also requires a commitment on our part, even if it is in neglect. Therefore, we have a choice to make. We can spend our time building one another up or tearing one another down.
The wise choice is to build up. When we build one another up, we all win. There is a more productive person in society and the church. The impact reaches beyond the person we have built up, for they now can build up others.
I pray we all choose to build one another up. I pray we decide to spend our time wisely. I pray each one of us make the wise decision to invest in someone else and see the positive ripple effects of doing so. Build up one another. Spend your time wisely. Make wise decisions. Invest in others.
Proverbs 14:1
The wise woman builds her house,
but the foolish tears it down with her own hands.
Marty Pressey 