DAILY READING
REFLECTION
What Are You Building?
by Mary Alice McGinnis
What dreams are you pursuing in your life? How confident are you that you will reach that dream?
In my teens, I had a dream that I would spend my life in serving God in full time ministry. I had this picture of the “perfect life” where everything was neat and tidy, and I would be looked upon as a “hero” of faith. “I” was going to do this, and “I” was going to do that. I thought I had it all figured out.
Notice all the “I's”? Do you also hear the echo of egocentric defiance in today’s reading?
“Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
This story comes right after the account of God giving Noah a promise and command after the flood. God’s command to this new generation was clear, in Genesis 9:1: “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.”
Instead of pursuing God’s purpose, they started building their own tower of significance, pursuing their own path to self-reliance. They did not want to trust God's ways.
This caused me to pause and ask myself, where in my life am I trying to build my own tower of significance? Where am I allowing my ego, my pride, my self-sufficiency get in the way of God’s purposes in my life and in His Kingdom.
As my life unfolded, one obstacle after another laid in my path. My well-planned life got so ugly that parts of it still bring me overpowering shame. Things that I so carefully constructed lead me in the wrong direction. The stable tower I once relied upon was shaken, and I found myself in chaos and confusion. Perhaps you have found yourself there too, maybe even right now.
Have you considered this? Perhaps God must destroy everything we put our trust in in order redirect our hearts back to Him. He lovingly curbs our climbing towards empty pursuits. He knows the ONLY thing that will truly fulfil us is complete dependence upon Him!
Religion is always based upon humans trying to “reach the heavens.”
The unique beauty of our One TRUE God is that He came reaching for US!
Where is God prompting you to thank Him for the times He has redirected your dreams? Where is He speaking words of loving forgiveness and kindness over the places of ego and shame in your heart?
Where is He leading You back to not what YOU can do, but what He has DONE FOR YOU!
PRAYER
Use the lyrics of this song “No Survivors” by Jeremy Camp as your prayer today.
"You told me it's Your battle, God, so I need You to fight!
'Cause if I'm gonna live then there's some things that need to die.
My ego, my pride.
My grip on my life.
Throw it all into the fire
And leave no survivors"
AUTHOR BIO
Mary Alice McGinnis
I began reading the Bible for the first time at the age of 14. When I read the book of Proverbs, I found this collection of practical wisdom both challenging and inspiring. Instead of the typical posters you might find on a teenager’s bedroom walls, my room was splashed with handmade posters - quotes from the book of Proverbs. The Proverbs unique way of expressing deep truths helped lay a foundation in my walk with God.
Very good and rather convicting. I think you hit our selfishness with God's selflessness.