Rise Up and Build

The books of Ezra and Nehemiah introduce us to some good men who were builders in the Kingdom of God:

• Zurabbabel and Jeshua lead the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem (Ezra 3:2)
• Ezra rebuilds peoples faith by learning, living and teaching the law (Ezra 7:10)
• Nehemiah rebuilds the walls and gates of Jerusalem (Nehemiah 2:7)

What lessons can we learn from these stories about being a builder of the kingdom?

• expect opposition as a builder (Ezra 4:4, Nehemiah 4:8)
• surround yourself with other builders (Ezra 3:8,  Nehmemiah 2:18, Nehemiah 8:7)
• builders sacrifice things to build the kingdom of God-all these men left their homes in Babylon/Persia to return to Jerusalem (see chapter headings Ezra 1, Ezra 7-8, Nehemiah 2)

The principle of being a builder reminded me of a poem I heard some time ago titled "Am I a Builder or a Wrecker?"

I watched them tearing a building down,
A gang of men in a busy town.
With a ho-heave-ho and lusty yell,
They swung a beam and a sidewall fell.

I asked the foreman, “Are these men skilled,
The men you’d hire if you had to build?”

He gave me a laugh and said, “No indeed!
Just common labor is all I need.
I can easily wreck in a day or two
What builders have taken a year to do.”

And I thought to myself as I went my way,
Which of these two roles have I tried to play?

Am I a builder who works with care,
Measuring life by the rule and square?
Am I shaping my deeds by a well-made plan,
Patiently doing the best I can?

Or am I a wrecker who walks the town,
Content with the labor of tearing down?

                              Poem by Edgar Guest

Some good questions we can ask ourselves are...Am I a builder or a wrecker? What can I do to stop being in opposition to the building? How can I contribute to the building up of my family, ward, or community? I hope that we can all think of something we can do to emulate the lives of these great men, and the life of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and do our part to help build the Kingdom of God.