The Upper Room Daily Devotional in Nashville Tennessee United States for Sunday, 1 July 2018 "The Wise Builder" by Demetrio Henrique G. Soares (São Paulo, Brazil) 1 Corinthians 3:1-15

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The Upper Room Daily Devotional in Nashville Tennessee United States for Sunday, 1 July 2018 "The Wise Builder" by Demetrio Henrique G. Soares (São Paulo, Brazil) 1 Corinthians 3:1-15
Paul wrote, “I laid a foundation like a wise master builder . . . but someone else is building on top 
of it. Each person needs to pay attention 
to the way they build on it.” (1 Corinthians 3:10 (CEB))
The experience of remodeling a home while keeping up its normal operation can be stressful. Scheduling mealtimes, comings and goings, and discovering the need for unexpected repairs are just a few of the challenges we face. Only the thought of achieving our dream of having a new place that was designed just for us motivates us to continue.
The spiritual life is no different. Sometimes, our reforms are painful and difficult. But the certainty of transformation strengthens us in this process. The apostle Paul, in his first letter to the Corinthians, challenged them to a spiritual reform of their community. At the beginning of chapter 3, he warns about inappropriate behaviors, which showed spiritual immaturity, and he urged them toward spiritual maturity.
Just as we have the freedom to choose the materials and the best builder to remodel a house, we can choose how to build our spiritual lives. Guided by the word of God, we can either build our spiritual lives on the foundation of Christ, or we can choose to build with material wealth that has no eternal worth (1 Cor. 3:12-13). It is up to us to choose wisely.
TODAY'S PRAYER: Dear God, strengthen and enable us to build and reform our lives so that they bring glory to you. In the name of Jesus. Amen.
TODAY'S READING: 1 Corinthians 3:1 As for me, brothers, I couldn’t talk to you as spiritual people but as worldly people, as babies, so far as experience with the Messiah is concerned. 2 I gave you milk, not solid food, because you were not yet ready for it. But you aren’t ready for it now either! 3 For you are still worldly! Isn’t it obvious from all the jealousy and quarrelling among you that you are worldly and living by merely human standards? 4 For when one says, “I follow Sha’ul” and another, “I follow Apollos,” aren’t you being merely human? 5 After all, what is Apollos? What is Sha’ul? Only servants through whom you came to trust. Indeed, it was the Lord who brought you to trust through one of us or through another. 6 I planted the seed, and Apollos watered it, but it was God who made it grow. 7 So neither the planter nor the waterer is anything, only God who makes things grow — 8 planter and waterer are the same.
However, each will be rewarded according to his work. 9 For we are God’s co-workers; you are God’s field, God’s building. 10 Using the grace God gave me, I laid a foundation, like a skilled master-builder; and another man is building on it. But let each one be careful how he builds. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Yeshua the Messiah. 12 Some will use gold, silver or precious stones in building on this foundation; while others will use wood, grass or straw. 13 But each one’s work will be shown for what it is; the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire — the fire will test the quality of each one’s work. 14 If the work someone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward; 15 if it is burned up, he will have to bear the loss: he will still escape with his life, but it will be like escaping through a fire. (Complete Jewish Bible).
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: How will I build on the foundation Christ has laid?
PRAYER FOCUS: Builders
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