Architect: Is your life plan by design or by default?
“I was beside him like an architect; I was his daily source of joy, always happy in his presence, happy with the world and pleased with the human race.” GNB| Proverbs 8:30-31
Does having the right architect make a difference in the project? My answer is unequivocally yes! When I was a young boy working with my dad cleaning up jobsites, I remember a project in northern California where everything about the project was on a single page. Times have changed and the size and complexity have increased. Now project plans sometimes equal hundreds of pages.
We live in a world of distractions and too many choices (at least I do). The best projects have a thorough, accurate, and coordinated set of documents. They incorporate all of the disciplines; to name a few would be – the civil, structural, plumbing, mechanical, and electrical engineers. After that we incorporate the interior designer’s selections, work with a lighting designer, and almost always a landscape architect. The more detail on the drawings – the fewer questions during bidding and construction. This allows us to obtain more accurate costs and complete a project representative of what the client requested. AND – it takes less time to build.
Arizona State University performed a “decision” study years ago. The result was that there were more than 500,000 decisions required to build a new home. This is one of the reasons we need a plan.
It has been said that most people spend more time planning a two week vacation than they do on planning their lives. What is the plan for your life? It really comes down to one question: Do you want to live your life by design or by default?
“Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation!” 1Co 3:10 Message
Mark Batterson in his book All In recounts this story: On February 19, 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernán Cortés set sail for Mexico with an entourage of 11 ships, 13 horses, 110 sailors, and 553 soldiers. The indigenous population upon his arrival was approximately five million. The odds were stacked against him by a ratio of 7,541 to 1. As we all know, Cortes gave the order to burn the ships to eliminate any thoughts or possibility of retreat.
Today I want to challenge you to use your God given gifts. Are you willing to burn your ships? Are you planning on retreating or moving forward to be victorious in spite of any odds you might face? Stop and take time to consult the Master Architect who knows you best and loves you most. Instead of asking God to get behind your plans, ask Him what He wants you to pursue. Create a plan that will allow you to balance your work and family lives and fulfill your mission as a Kingdom Builder. God – Family – Mission – Legacy
