The Great Architect

God, the Great Architect

Imagine a building under construction.

It's so messy, there's stuff lying everywhere and it's tough to think how this is all going to come together. A dirty trench filled with rainwater, piles of wood just lying in random places, workers who've tracked muddy footprints all over, trash piled high in a corner…

It looks like a disaster, disorganised and things out of place.

Imagine the owner going to visit the site. 

It's easy to take one look and think, 

"Oh dear. This is going to be a massive failure, it'll never come together. Let's maar cut our losses and stop building. This place is never going to be what we wanted..."

Instead, now imagine the architect going to visit the construction. 

Maybe he’d be relaxed and think, 

"Not to be worried. It's all part of the process. You can't have a beautiful building without a lot of yucky bits along the way."

In the same way, you have to see the things that are messy in your life, the things you struggle with, the things that seem out of place, as simply,

UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

That doesn't mean it's not going to work out...

That mess in your relationship, that crooked bit of your finances, a husband or

daughter that upsets you with their behaviour...

It might be painful, you may not like it, but IT'S ALL PART OF THE PROCESS.

YOU'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION.

You can't become all you were created to be without some messy places.

To the untrained eye, a construction site looks disorganised, random, yucky, but to the architect, he's not bothered. He doesn't care about breaking a few eggs to make an omelette. He drew up the plans, he knows exactly where those random bits go.

YOUR ARCHITECT IS THE MOST HIGH GOD.

He has designed a specific plan for your life. The good news is, the messy places can't stop your destiny from coming to pass.

The delays, the things you don't understand, even the mistakes you've made, God has already taken them into account. They're not a surprise to God. You may not see how your dream could ever work out, you feel like you're stuck, but God is saying, "It's all going according to my plan. You're right on schedule. You’re not a finished product."

He's saying, 

"I've still got a little bit of grinding to do, still some rough edges to be sanded, but what I've started, I'll bring to completion."

The devil, the deceiver and accuser, will whisper to you, 

"Not you. You've got too many flaws and you've missed your chance. Too many weaknesses, you've made too many mistakes."

Just remind him, 

"I'm under construction. I've still got some messy places, but God's not finished with me yet."

The Apostle Paul is a personal inspiration for my life. Let me tell you why.

When Paul was still Saul of Tarsus, he persecuted and imprisoned many of the early followers of the Church. He was a villain.

In Acts, he was on his way from Jerusalem to Damascus in Syria. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"

He was converted in that moment and the days that followed.

According to Wikipedia and Biblical scholars, it is normally dated to AD 33–36. Since Paul's birth is estimated at 5 AD, he would have been somewhere around the age of 28–31 at his conversion.

I was born on the 2nd of May, 1985. 

On the 20th of October, 2014, a normal Monday night, I was 29 years, 5 months & 18 days old. I was a complete and scientific/logical atheist on the wrong path. My life was a mess. I was addicted to drugs and a lot of other dysfunctional behaviour.

I thought Christianity was the biggest joke. I still respected religion, I just thought it was stupid and faith-filled people were clowns, not meant to be taken seriously.

On 20/10/2014, just a night at home in Roodepoort, I watched a Manchester United match against West Bromwich Albion. We drew 2-2.

Afterwards, I was sitting at my PC and just messing around on the Internet.

Out of thin air, I heard a voice. 

It was the most surreal thing I'd ever experienced. At first, I didn't know who it was but I automatically cowered in my chair out of fear and respect. The voice announced himself and I remember asking, how can this be real if I'm gay? 

His words to me were, "That's not important, don't worry about that now."

In one single touch of God's amazing power, I was instantly converted.

Paul says in Ephesians 2:10

"For we are God’s masterpiece.

He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,

so we can do the good things

he planned for us long ago."

You may not be there quite yet, but instead of beating yourself up about it, living with that negative message playing over and over again in your mind, like a recording, "I don't measure up," or, "I'm not good enough," our attitude should be:

MASTERPIECE. Under construction, on a sign in small letters hanging from it.

Someone might say, "Well, you still struggle with that addiction..."

Your reply should be,"Yes, but I know a secret. I'm still under construction. God's still working on me."

"You still have a temper. You still say things that you shouldn't..."

"Yes, but I'm better than I was last year. I'm growing and I'm coming up higher, and I know this: What God started, He will finish. You have to look beyond the mess, and see the masterpiece."

In Philippians 1:6, Paul says:

"...He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus."

The messy places are all a part of the process. It may be uncomfortable, you

don't understand it, you may even have brought the trouble on yourself...BUT

it's not a surprise to God. When the Great Architect designed the plan for your

life, He took that all into account.

We're not going to understand everything that happens, God's ways are not our ways.

Here's the promise that God gives us:

"If you'll stay in faith, keep doing your best and working towards Christ, God will do the rest, like only He can. What He started in your life, He will bring to completion."

You didn't miss your opportunity, it's all part of God's plan.

Here’s my prayer for our lives:

Dear Heavenly Father, thank You for each and every blessing we receive. Thank you for working on me and turning me into Your masterpiece. Slowly, one step at a time. Because of You, I’m a better person today than I was last year. Dear lord, I know that I am sinful. I repent of my sins. I’m sorry for the many mistakes I’ve made. Father God, I trust in You and Your plans for my life. They are far better than anything I could have designed. You know how it’s all going to work out. You’ve brought me here and I know we’re not at our destination yet. I’m happy with that. I will do my best and leave the rest to You. Dear God, only You can save us.

Amen.