Building Houses in Vain

Many Christians desire to accomplish great things for God. Maybe it’s specifically related to ministry, maybe it’s building a business, maybe it’s fighting some injustice in the public square. I think this is a good thing. Maybe you feel a similar desire. I know I do.

But then I am reminded—almost haunted at times—by the following passage:

“Unless the LORD builds the house, those who build it labor in vain…” (Psalm 127:1).

It would be much easier to swallow if the verse said, “Unless the Lord builds the house, he won’t let you start building it.”

But that’s not what it says.

This verse is haunting because you can build an entire house without it being built by the Lord. You can work, sweat, toil, strive, and create something that looks marvelous to human eyes. You can even say it’s for Jesus. But if God isn’t there, it’s in vain.

It’s entirely possible for any of us to do this. Again, God doesn’t stop the laborers in the Psalm from building. They still have a completed house at the end. Maybe they even high-fived and went to a celebratory dinner afterward. But it was all for nothing. God wasn’t there.

Of course, no one wants to build in vain. So then the question becomes: How do I ensure God is building this?

We can’t control or manipulate God into blessing our plans. To think we can would be prideful and arrogant.

Truthfully, the only way I can think to guard against vain building is persistent, humble prayer.

This isn’t to discourage anyone from seeking to accomplish great things for God. It’s more of a reminder for us to humbly seek the Lord in our pursuits—not just attach His name to them.

It’s sobering to think that we could build not just a home, but entire neighborhoods of houses. All of them beautiful, sturdy, and well-suited to keep out the rain. But if God isn’t there, it is all vanity.