Construction

Our lives are built on day by day, thoughts, habits, attitudes and actions,  

 brick by brick we build up who we are. 

A few nights ago I was listening to the song 'Cornerstone' and I thought of this verse:

 You are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household,  built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.  In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord.  And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. 

Ephesians 2: 19-22 

This verse is talking about how through Christ the Jews and Gentiles are all God's people and that though there are differences in language, culture, history they're all now built on the most important part of what built the house - the cornerstone. 

A similar verse in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says: 

 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies. 

Scripture gives us a clear picture that we are temples. Built brick by brick, day by day. 

Sometimes temples need to be torn down though, the temple we dedicate to ourselves that is. I recently celebrated five years since becoming a Christian!  Those first few months were especially hard, because the temple I'd been building to myself for my seventeen years of life had to be demolished. A new design, a detailed plan was made by God for this new temple.
 And then a rebuild had to start happening. 

So  what is the difference between a cornerstone and any other stone?

Despite my very basic knowledge of masonry, I know that it is the first stone that is put down and all the other stones are set in reference to it.  And so the rebuild begins, with Christ as reference to every other piece - and realistically every piece should be similar to the first one... 

But the rubble from that old temple remains... And sometimes we pick up a brick from the rubble pile and try to cement it in with the other bricks. And we know it doesn't quite belong anymore - 

For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. 

1 Corinthians 3: 11-13

Whatever you rebuild with it shows.

Whether that's an old cracked piece that we've tried to put back together ourselves or a certain brick we really loved and couldn't let go of.  It may hide behind another layer, or  be a brick that is only seen on the inside of the building, but it's still there and contributes to the structural soundness of the whole temple.  

 Remember to build with care.