I watched one of my best friends this past weekend methodically arrange and build several balloon arches for a women’s event we were hosting. She would arrange them precisely and she worked for hours getting those arches finished. It isn’t just about blowing up a balloon…it’s about creating and building with something that is full of air. Because of modern technology, she had a machine to put air in each balloon (even one that did two balloons at a time!) but let’s just think for a moment if she had to blow them up with her own lungs…wow…even more work and something was built by her very breath.
Now here’s the crazy part.
As we were cleaning up, her husband went over to that arch with a pocket knife and pricked each balloon quickly with a resounding “POP!” “POP!” “POP!” that echoed through the room.
He destroyed and tore down in 30 seconds what my friend took so much time to build.
The Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and said, “be a builder…be an encourager. You never want to be the person that destroys someone in seconds, when it took years to build them up.”
Ephesians 4:29 says, “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”
1 Thessalonians 5:11 says, “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…”
Paul wasn’t talking to non-believers. He was talking to the church. We have become quite good at tearing other people down, haven’t we? I know that in a room full of 100 people, if 99 say something good about me and one person says something bad, I forget the 99 building blocks and remember that one wrecking ball that knocked down all the other good comments.
Let’s start this Monday off being a person that builds others up and encourages with each breath that we take. We aren’t trying to blow up balloons to build an arch, but we are trying to fill others with love and build a foundation that shows who Jesus is to this world that desperately needs Him. The words from your mouth have the power of life and death…they can edify and make for building up another’s faith or cut like a knife through a balloon and crumble their hope in the realness of Christ.
The enemy wants nothing more than to steal, kill and destroy…but we are woven together as believers. Don’t let anyone deceive you by fine-sounding arguments…’cause we are stronger together.
1 Colossians 2:2-4