“Oh Be Careful Little Hands What You Do!”

“But on the judgment day, the fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done—if the worker’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” (I Corinthians 3:13-15)

Food For Thought: When I was a kid growing up in Sunday School, we used to sing a little song that, now that I think about it, was pretty sobering. If I would have known better at the time, it would have scared the willies out of me. It went something like this:

“Oh be careful little hands what you do.
Oh be careful little hands what you do.
There’s a Father up above, looking down from heaven with love,
So be careful little hands what you do.”

The song had several verses: “Oh be careful little feet where you go… Eyes what you see… Ears what you here…” and so on. The song was cute and catchy in a way that made it unforgettable, but it also contained a not-so-subtle threat that served as its underpinning: Be very careful—God is watching you! And if you mess up…

Obviously, that was back in the day when parents didn’t think a whole lot about damaging little Johnny’s self-esteem. At least they didn’t in my home, and my church. They didn’t mind talking about things like offending God and its consequences, judgment and hell, and all kinds of other things that would make most church people squirm today.

However, squirming is sometimes good for you. And Paul is taking us through a “squirm session” in this section of I Corinthians. He has been addressing some of the divisions that have developed in the church at Corinth. The people have been choosing up sides as to who their favorite preacher was. Some said, “Oh, I got saved under Peter’s ministry.” Others said, “Well, I have grown the most under Apollos’ fine expository preaching.” Still others shot back, “Yes, but I have been spiritually grounded on Paul’s deep theology.” Then the really spiritual people would top them all: “Well, we follow Christ!”

That’s not all that different from today, is it? I hear some people say, “Oh, I get so blessed by Joel Osteen. He’s so positive and I like that smile.” And then others says, “Well, I like John MacArthur. He teaches verse-by-verse, you know! That’s the only way to study the Word!” And there are those who say, “I like Rick Warren. He’s so funny and easy to follow. That purpose driven stuff is really cool.”

Well, Paul sets our crooked theology straight by reminding these Corinthians that this preacher-by-popularity is way off base and misses the fundamental point: The church has but one leader, Jesus Christ. We are not under Paul’s or Peter’s or Rick’s or Joel’s lordship, we are under the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

The Apostle then reminds them that the church is like a seed, and the seed is from God, and no matter who waters that seed, God is the one who makes it grow. Switching analogies, Paul then talks about the church being built on the foundation, and that foundation is Jesus Christ. And anyone who builds on it—whether Paul, or Apollos or Peter…or for that matter Brother Jones or Sister Bertha, or you or me—needs to remember we are building on a foundation that is Jesus Christ. So let us be careful then how we build.

Now he’s the clincher: One day each of us will stand before God to give an account as to how we added to that foundation. And by the way, we all add to the foundation. No matter who you are or what you do, if you’re a Christian, you’re a part of building the church, either adding to it and beautifying it, or taking away from it and diminishing its value. And on that final day, our works—what we’ve done with Christ’s church—will pass through the fire. Then the truth about our work will be exposed for what it is: Eternally valuable or immediately flammable.

So Paul’s warning is very important:

“Oh be careful little hands how you build!
There’s a Father up above looking down from heaven with love,
So be careful little hands how you build.”

Notice what Paul goes on to say in verse 16: ““Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you?  God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple.  For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple.”

We often hear that our physical body is the temple of God, and to be sure that is true. We need to pay more strict attention to that. But we also need to be aware that the church we belong to is the temple of God, and it is the dwelling place of God the Holy Spirit. And if the Spirit of God dwells in our church, we, both worshippers and workers, laity and leaders—all of us—need to be very aware of what we’re doing with that temple.

Paul’s advice: Don’t trash the temple—either in attitudes or by actions. There’s a Father up above looking down from heaven with love, so be very, very careful what you do. Love the church, serve the church, build the church—and do it all in a way that brings glory to the Lord of the church and pleases the Spirit of the church, and honors the God of the church.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for the reminder of how precious the church, your bride, is to you. Forgive any attitude that I’ve had that lessens the value you place upon my community of faith. I pray that you would give me a new energy and zeal to love, serve and build your church in a way the glorifies and pleases you. And on that final day, I pray that the work I’ve done will pass through the fire as eternally valuable.

One More Thing… Some years ago I ran across a story that was a sobering reminder about how unhealthy and unholy attitudes can sometimes take root in the church. Hope it causes you to stop and evaluate!

One day, a man went to visit a church. He got there early, parked his car, and got out. Another car pulled up near and the driver got out and said, “I always park there! You took my place!” The visitor went inside for Sunday School, found an empty seat and sat down. A young lady from the church approached him and stated, “That’s my seat! You took my place!” The visitor was somewhat distressed by this rude welcome, but said nothing. After Sunday School, the visitor went into the sanctuary and sat down.

Another member walked up to him and said, “That’s where I always sit! You took my place!” The visitor was even more troubled by this treatment, but still He said nothing. Later as the congregation was praying for Christ to dwell among them, the visitor stood up, and his appearance began to change. Horrible scars became visible on his hands and on his sandaled feet. Someone from the congregation noticed him and called out, “What happened to you?”

The visitor replied, as his hat became a crown of thorns, and a tear fell from his eye, “I took your place.”