Building Up, Not Tearing Down

Good morning Immanuel. Tearing down is our default mode when left to ourselves. But we’re not left to ourselves. God is with us!

“Let all things be done for building up.” (1 Corinthians 14:26)

“The authority that the Lord has given me for building up and not for tearing down.” (2 Corinthians 13:10)

Photo by Jeriden Villegas on Unsplash

Authority from God is a gift loaded with glorious potential. We are wise, then, to think carefully about what we do with the authority we have been given. But to do that, we must first know what authority is for. The context here is that the Corinthian Christians think they have outgrown Paul’s simple ministry. Meanwhile, their lives are spiraling down into moral chaos. So, Paul writes to encourage them back into honesty with God. He does not coddle them, but neither does he bully them. He knows what his authority is for—“building up.” And just in case we are tempted to think, “Yea, but we can’t build up all of the time,” Paul adds, “and not for tearing down.”

Suppose Jesus handed us each a hammer and said, “These hammers are for construction, not demolition.” In that case, we would not only know what Jesus wants us to use our hammers for but also what Jesus thinks our greatest temptation will be—to tear down rather than build up. And it’s just so with authority. We all know what the misuse of authority looks like because we have all been on the receiving end. But we may not realize how easily we slip out of construction into demolition.

Building up is precision work. It requires planning, restraint, and the wise channeling of strength in ways that anticipate the needs of others. But tearing down requires neither wisdom nor restraint; it’s our default mode when left to ourselves. But we’re not left to ourselves. God is with us! Maybe the Lord has given us authority at work; He will surely give us the wisdom to use that authority for His glory and build up those around us. Or the Lord has given us authority in our family; He will surely then provide strengthening grace to restrain our frustrations and energize our affections. The One who gives authority strengthens our hand to receive it.