We Do Not Run Aimlessly

In the fall of 1666, a great fire swept over London and destroyed several buildings. The list of casualties included the magnificent St Paul’s Cathedral. So a famous architect, Sir Christopher Wren, was commissioned to design and rebuild it. One day, while touring the construction site, Wren observed three bricklayers working and allegedly had these conversations with them.

Wren asked the first bricklayer, “What are you doing?” He answered grumpily, “I am laying bricks.” Wren approached the second bricklayer and asked, “What are you doing?” he replied indifferently, “I am building a wall.” Wren then asked the third man what he was doing. The third—and most efficient—bricklayer looked at Wren with a beaming smile and said with pride, “I am building a cathedral to the Almighty.”

Now there are many variations of this story, but all versions deliver the same message: three men doing the same work with different perspectives. This story has often been told to inspire people to have the right attitude when pursuing their goals and to have a purpose for their life. These lessons apply well to the Christian life.

God calls every Christian to be holy, for He is holy. This is a lifelong pursuit that involves many activities, such as reading Scripture, praying, giving, attending church, sharing the gospel, and serving. But juggling these spiritual disciplines with our other daily duties may make us forget our purpose in doing them. And when we lose sight of the end goal, discipline becomes drudgery.

Without an aim, our labor in Christ can become dull and draining. We become like the first two bricklayers, grumpy and sad, just going through the motions.

Hence, having direction is as important as disciplining oneself. One without the other will either make you motionless or deplete you. We need both. God did not mean for us to run aimlessly.

When Paul wrote to the Corinthians about his calling, he said, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified” (1 Cor. 9:24-27) (emphasis mine)

As an athlete fixes his eyes on the finish line, so must we set our eyes on our ultimate goal. And for the Christian, Christ is the goal.

Paul says in another letter that he presses on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14). We don’t pursue holiness for the sake of holiness, but for Christ’s sake. To be holy like Him and bring Him glory. This is our calling, our purpose, our cathedral.

The third bricklayer rejoiced and excelled in his work because he saw the purpose of his labor. He was not laying bricks aimlessly or building random walls. Every brick he laid was part of a majestic work bigger than him. This motivated and delighted him. Likewise, the work we do in the Lord serves a grand and eternal purpose. Every Scripture we meditate, prayer we recite, cross we bear, sin we deny, and money we give are all bricks we are laying for God’s Kingdom and glory.

One day we will rest from our labor. We will cross the finish line, win the prize, receive the crown of life, and enter the joy of Christ. Until then, we must work diligently with our eternal purpose in mind.

“Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” 1 Corinthians 15:58.