Guest Article: 'Unless the Lord builds the house'

This article was contributed by John Hogenson, Lead Pastor at St. Andrew's Lutheran Church.

One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 127. Verse 127:1 reads, "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who labor build it in vain." Yesterday at lunch time I went to inspect the progress of the Habitat for Humanity house that St. Andrew's is building on County Road E. You can see from the picture what they have accomplished in just six and a half days! While it is taking many laborers, truly the Lord is the one building this house.

I think I love Psalm 127 because it tells us that no matter what we do in life, no matter how much or how little success we experience, no matter how much or how little money we make, in the end, unless we do what we do for the Lord, what we do is in vain. Through the years in ministry I have learned that when my motive for what I am doing is other than serving, praising, and glorifying God, life is hard and I am "out of balance." Conversely, I have learned that when I don't make it all about me but all about God and my greatest motivation is to glorify God, life gets better, things fall into place, and good things happen. 

Martin Luther's life verses were Ephesians 2:8-10: "For we are what he made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand to be our natural way of life." Our natural way of life is to serve God. In so doing God is glorified and we are one with the one who made us.

Solomon was right, "Unless the Lord builds the house, those who labor build it in vain." So this day and every day, do what you do with God at the center, and what you do will not be in vain but be for the glory of God.  

Blessings to you,

John Hogenson
Lead Pastor
St. Andrew's Lutheran Church