The Master Builder: Bringing Your House to Completion

My experience in construction helps me appreciate the wisdom and quality workmanship of our Master Builder. Don’t be fooled by the competitors!

Being in the construction trade has had its pitfalls in recent years, with job growth in many states at an all-time low. Among the many challenges to staying in business as a licensed contractor is learning to accurately and competitively bid a job. Knowing the other contractors you are bidding against is one tool that can help in the bidding process. Knowing the time and effort it takes to properly complete each portion of a job is also essential.

Bidding may be the most important part of a company’s business, as cash flow to bring a job to completion is a must! The various courses of training that a contractor must go through to become licensed can aid in this most important aspect of doing business.

Being licensed also shows the homeowner that you have his best interests in mind by providing insurance, bonding and certification, verified through the state in which you live. Your license is assurance that you will complete the job, because you as a licensed contractor are held responsible for the quality of work you provide. You are expected to comply with the construction laws of your state, for everyone’s good.

Picking the right contractor

In my years of business, I have seen licensed contractors who know the ins and outs of bringing a job to completion lose business to those who are not licensed at all. Though some of those who are unlicensed may have the basic skills to do a job and may begin with good intentions, problems can arise. Without using the guidelines established by the experts of their field, they run the risk of not completing the job.

If they are not going by the laws of the state, they may leave themselves and the homeowner in serious trouble should they be caught by the code enforcement authorities, or should they abandon the job before completion because they didn’t know how to price the job. Not having the proper insurance can mean that the owner will be stuck with the tab, having to hire someone else to complete the job should the unlicensed person be unable to repair what has happened on the job due to his negligence.

Who’s your spiritual builder?

In our spiritual life, who is our builder? Who have we hired and given authority to build our spiritual house? There are many counterfeits out there, many spiritual “unlicensed contractors” who will vie for your contract, promising you that your house can be built for a cheaper price, doing their best to assure you that you can get the same job done for less without the need for following the rules of God’s law.

“Why do you need the law?” they will say. “It is far too restrictive and expensive and will take too long. We have an easier way, and we promise to finish your house.”

We cannot afford to listen to them! They cannot offer you the security that the love for God, through obedience to His good and beneficial laws, brings.

We have choices in this life. We can live as God says, or we can do what seems right in our own mind. But doesn’t the latter leave us “uninsured,” so to speak? It may not always be apparent to us that we are doing anything wrong at first, just a little slip here or there, a little ignoring of the rules. It’s no big deal, right?

If we are not careful, though, we will lose sight of who we are really up against—who is in the bidding war for our lives. Will we be committed to constantly use the Word of God as our blueprint?

Consider the following passage: “For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it—lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish” (Luke 14:28-29).

I really want my house to turn out right—what do I do?

It’s simple, really. Hire a licensed contractor and take His advice. Pay close attention to the instructions of Jesus Christ. God has laid out the way for us. He has drawn up the plans; and every step in the building of our house is important, from our confession of sins and baptism, to growing in love for His law.

It is all so very important, and if we try to cut any of these corners by attempting to build our house another way or by leaving out an important step in the building process, we will be left with an unfinished house. We’ll be left with a house that will not stand when the final inspection comes.

We must continue to build on the Foundation—Jesus Christ—through the love of His commandments (1 John 5:1-3). This is a sign of God’s true followers and how they express their love for Him. Hold on to that love and watch His abundant mercy and joy abound in your life!

We may think we can do things our own way and that God’s way is too tough. We may think God’s way costs too much and that cutting a few corners isn’t that big of a deal. Or maybe we are simply afraid to take that next step. But, if we decide to change our lives and build on the Foundation according to God’s plans, we won’t be left with an unfinished building or one that will not stand the tests of time.

Our house will be completed in a way that passes the highest of inspections, pleasing the Great Architect!

Happy building!

David Wise operates a small painting contracting company and attends the Miami, Florida, congregation of the Church of God, a Worldwide Association.