1762 Grab Your Shovel

BIG Life Devotional | Daily Devotional for Women

We’ve been hanging out in Luke 6 this week, listening to the teaching of Jesus to his newly selected disciples and large crowd that had gathered seeking his healing touch. He first tells them how to follow the pattern of his love. Yes, we’ve learned to not be hateful, do good, talk good, pray, forgive, give generously and just be nice. If we can do that, we show up like Jesus and our relationships are radically transformed.

We can practice this for the rest of our lives and still need to work on our love for others. So Jesus says, “Keep practicing, my girl! You’re loving more and more like me.”

Now, Jesus shows us how to build a life.

Each of us are building a life. You may be building very unintentionally and wonder why this life you’ve built is so unstable. You may be intentionally building your life but doing it on your own and wonder why you’re exhausted. All while Jesus has extended an invitation to build in partnership with him where he does the hard part ridiculously well, carries the burdens you cannot carry, to build a remarkable life using the ordinary things you can do and simple things you do have.

But Jesus asks the question, which builder will you be?

Luke 6: 47-48, “I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.”

This house being built is your life. How are you building it?

My sister, if you want a well-built life, Jesus shows 3 things you must do:

1. Come to him.
2. Listen to him.
3. Follow what he says.

Nowhere in that list is the requirement to know what you’re doing, always get it right, understand the details, or see the big picture. You’re not even required to be a great builder. There are no personal qualifications involved. You only need to dig deep and find that solid rock to build your life on. Jesus is that solid rock. He is your firm foundation.

You keep stressing wondering if you’re doing this right … Well, are you truly seeking Jesus? Are you listening to him? Are you following what he says to do? That’s the building checklist for your life, my sister. Do that and the rest is just paint colors and light fixtures.

I remember a time in my life, really not even all that long ago, when I didn’t know HOW to come to him, listen to him, and follow what he says. Is that a specific reading plan, a mystical 7 step ritual, a memorized prayer repeated daily? I like specifics and detailed steps to take. I like boxes to check and proven recipes to follow. And my search ultimately left me feeling totally unworthy and exhausted while still unsure of how to come to Jesus so I could hear him and follow him.

Just in case that’s where you are, please know you’re not alone. I understand. I understand not knowing how to talk to this great big God you can’t’t see. I understand opening the Bible and reading things that don’t make sense and feeling confused. I understand never knowing if the random thoughts passing through your mind are just your imagination or the Spirit of God prompting you.

I’ve been there. Some days I still find myself there.

But, that’s why this phase is called DIGGING. Jesus said you dig deep until you find that solid rock, then you start building the foundation.

Digging is messy. Digging doesn’t look desirable. Digging isn’t easy. Digging uncovers hidden, undesirable things. Digging takes you beneath the surface into some dark places.

Digging doesn’t just happen by thinking about it or talking about it. Digging happens when you show up, grab your shovel and do something with it.

Do you see what I see there? Woah, God, that’s good. Show up, grab your shovel, do something with it. Three things. Could these be the same three things Jesus told us we must do to build a well-built life?

1. Jesus said come to him. How: You show up for him. You show up with your worries. You show up with your needs. You show up with your praises. You show up with your plans. You show up with your questions. You bring it all to him.

Jesus is with you, always. He’s right there with you right now. He’s been waiting for you to show up and talk to him about these things. Seek him. Notice him. Be aware of him.

You come to him however you can. There’s not a required place, time or position. Our human minds create hoops to jump through, but Jesus showed up and eliminated every hoop. You can come to him anywhere, anytime, anyhow. Show up. It really is that simple. You can’t screw this part up.

2. Jesus said listen to him. How: Grab your shovel. Your shovel is whatever brings his word to you. It’s your Bible. It’s this podcast. It’s those songs that sing about Jesus. It’s your church. It’s that small group. It’s that book study. It’s that preacher you watch online. It’s that friend who speaks truth.

You have shovels laying all around you going unused. Shovels that have the potential to dig through this darkness and get to the solid rock of Jesus. Shovels that uncover everlasting truth. Grab your Bible and read it, it’s literally God’s divine word. It’s unlike any other written word in the history of the world. While it may not always make sense to you, God’s word has the power to radically transform your life, but only if you grab it. You grab that podcast that teaches you God’s word. You sing those songs. You get yourself in the doors of that church. Get yourself connected to people who are digging too.

There’s no magic formula in listening to God. It’s as simple and practical as grabbing the shovel you need to dig. I won’t go through a day of life without grabbing my shovel. I want that well-built life so I will continually dig and for that, I need the tools to dig for Jesus.

3. Jesus said follow what he says. How: Do something with what he’s given you. Start with the simple things you can understand. What have you heard this week? You heard talk nice about the people who talk bad about you. Start there. He said treat others the way you would want to be treated. That’s how you get to work and follow what he says. Oh what, you didn’t like that one?

That’s the problem … we don’t really like digging. We prefer to go shopping for all the pretty things. Girl, it’s not shopping time, it’s digging time. It’s not time to paint this thing, it’s time to dig down to that solid rock. That takes work.

It’s not that you don’t know how to follow what God is saying to you, it’s that you read it or you hear it and you don’t like it and you don’t feel like it, so you don’t do it. You aren’t willing to dig.

Jesus isn’t going to do the digging for you. That’s your job. You’re in a partnership with Jesus to build this life you have been given, and a partnership means he does his part and you do your part. Without your part, this is a half-nership. Jesus always does his part, but when you don’t, your half is missing and it won’t work.

If your life is only half working, half progressing, half fulfilling, one of two things is happening here. You’re either trying to do it all on your own and forgetting the offered partnership of Jesus … or you’re not doing your part and leaving Jesus hanging.

Together, you and Jesus can build a life that stands strong and steady. A life that is whole and overflowing with purpose. A life that honors him, satisfies you, and opens to others.

But understand, this life you’re building with Jesus will not be immune from storms. Trouble will still come. Problems will still happen. Enemies will still rise up. The enemy will still be evil and he will come knocking on your door.

Jesus didn’t say if you dig deep and build your life on the solid foundation of me, then your life will be so easy and the storms will never come your way. No, read his word again. “WHEN the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.”

It’s not even a matter of IF, but WHEN. When those storms come blowing through your life, your life you’ve built on Jesus will stand because first you dug deep.

What kind of builder will you be? The kind with a shovel! The kind who keeps digging to find that solid rock and firm foundation. The kind who shows up, grabs their shovel and does something with it. The kind who comes to Jesus, listens to him, and follows what he says.

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