Sitting at the table, coloring in the faces of the different peoples around the world, an old story was marinating in my heart. (Coloring is like therapy in case you need some!) A story I was told as a child, have read several times as an adult and was now preparing to teach to a small preschool class at church.
If you're a Christ-follower, or at the very least ever been a church-goer, you've probably heard the story of the Tower of Babel. A group of people building a tower and God confusing their language--the beginnings of the diverse groups of the world. As I was thinking through the reality of the story, I couldn't get over all the bricks it must have taken to build this tower. The diligent and meticulous work of making thousands of bricks. Quite before the times of cranes and heavy machinery, they had the exhausting work of hauling and laying those bricks. Days on end, calloused hands, sweaty brows, aching backs.
Standing there in the shadow of the hours, days, years of work I wonder if they questioned if it was all worth it. When people are driven, amazing things take place. But the motivation is always the crux of the effort.
In the story the motivation was misplaced. Choosing to quietly disregard God's directive (to spread out and fill the earth), the people worked hard to make a name for themselves (settle and build). Ahh. There's the struggle, the plight of mankind--making a name for ourselves.
Is making a name for ourselves ever really worth all the effort and sacrifices we might expend? Standing in the shadow of my own greatness requires God's grace of revealing His greatness. He didn't destroy the people's tower in anger. Rather, he confused their language so the people would spread out to fill the whole earth as He had asked them to. God shows love to me in stirring up the well-laid bricks of my misplaced efforts and redirecting me to accomplish His will. His better-than-I-can-accomplish purposes.
Packing my lesson in the bag, I walked out the door more convinced of my need for God's grace in my living. More ready to be over my constant "case of the Babels." Being motivated to love God and make His name great through my living, He is sure to do great things! That's just what I want with my life. How about you?