Rebuidling the Structure

 

2026_03_09

I saw an image, a structure made of red bricks and black bricks. When we build the structure, although we want to use red bricks, sometimes we unknowingly use the black ones and keep building and building.

In this image, the red bricks represent all that God has furnished us with—His Word, our times of prayer, the giftings He has placed within us, and every grace He pours out as we walk with Him. But the black bricks stand for the impurities we pick up along the way: the subtle influences of this world, the pull of our sinful nature, the habits and thoughts that creep in unnoticed, and everything else that taints what was meant to be pure.

This is how I realize that God wants to periodically break us—so that He can rebuild us into cleaner, purer versions of Himself. When He chooses to break us, it is never because He is angry with us. Rather, it is because He loves us so deeply that He desires us to become a better version of ourselves each time—more conformed to His image.

Jeremiah 18:1-6 (NKJV) The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying: “Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was, making something at the wheel. And the vessel that he made of clay was marred in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as it seemed good to the potter to make. Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying: “O house of Israel, can I not do with you as this potter?” says the Lord. “Look, as the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel!”

Despite how close we are with Him or how closely we are walking with Him, we cannot deny the influence of the world we receive from everywhere, exposure, all of it. These impurities may not by choice; we just accumulate them because of the influence around us. And subtly, without us knowing, we actually got influenced by it.

The purpose of this is not to say that it is okay to have impurities, nor are we saying that having them means we should hide ourselves or hide away in a cave. However, this is part and parcel of our life, whether we like it or not. As long as we are in this world, we will have all these impurities influencing us. For example, hurt even by our loved ones, hurt even through our quarrels, hurt through misunderstanding. It is normal—but we are not trying to say that it is okay. We are just assuring that it is normal. Ultimately, we surrender to Him and adopt the humility to allow Him to break us—rather than thinking it is a waste that we have built a structure so well, and why would He want to break it.

Romans 8:28 (NKJV) And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

 

Psalm 51:17 (NKJV) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

Some people may say, "I want to hear the voice of God," "I want to walk closer with God," "I want to walk in the power and the authority of God." And God will speak. But sometimes He speaks about things that are very pleasant—maybe today He affirms you of who you are in your identity in Christ. But there are many times also where He will say things that will tug  your heart, probe you, make you uncomfortable—not because He is trying to offend you, but because He wants to correct you, and it is done out of love.

Sometimes, in our human nature, we may resist and say, “God, I have put in so much effort to build this structure; I am not prepared to break it down.” In the end, instead of allowing Him to break it, we tend to run away. God is a gentleman; He respects our decisions. However, the problem is that by doing so, we actually deprive ourselves of His rebuilding process. Yet the beauty of His love is this: He will keep waiting for us—patiently, quietly—until we are ready for Him to break and rebuild. Not because He takes any thrill in it, but because He loves us deeply.

Isaiah 30:18 (NKJV) Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you; And therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice; Blessed are all those who wait for Him.

Lamentations 3:22-23 (NKJV) Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

Hosea 11:8-9 (NKJV) How can I give you up, Ephraim? How can I hand you over, Israel? ...My heart churns within Me; My sympathy is stirred. I will not execute the fierceness of My anger; I will not again destroy Ephraim. For I am God, and not man, The Holy One in your midst; And I will not come with terror.

One thing we need to understand is this: when He breaks us, it may look like a waste to us, but we cannot view it merely as upfront loss. Why? Because He is an economical God. He will not let any of our past experiences go to waste.

Let us return to the analogy and the image of the structure. When He has broken down this structure, He does not simply leave it in ruins and declare everything lost. When we are rebuilding, He reconsolidates all the red bricks and rebuilds them again—piece by piece, with love, constructing it once more with affection because He is our mighty Father. As He continues rebuilding, this time He ensures that the black bricks are thrown away. In this way, He does not allow the structure to go to waste; rather, He reuses the positive experiences we have had with Him—the lessons, the graces, the encounters—to form this new structure.

 

However, in our feeble minds, we sometimes think it is a waste because we see only the immediate loss. But no—we can be sure that God is far greater than us. His perspective is higher, and His ways are higher!

Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV) “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Joel 2:25 (NKJV) "So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, The consuming locust, And the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you."

 

So from this, when we move beyond our human understanding—when we surrender totally, trust Him completely, and allow Him to break us—that is when He can truly do the work in us. When He does break us, and rebuild us, this is where we begin to see a new glory rise within us. We inherit a new structure, better than before.

Haggai 2:9 (NKJV) The glory of this latter temple shall be greater than the former,’ says the Lord of hosts. ‘And in this place I will give peace,’ says the Lord of hosts.

2 Corinthians 3:18 (NKJV) But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

 

In conclusion, let us continue to allow Him—the Author and Finisher of our faith—to work in us and trust Him beyond our human understanding. Let us allow Him to do His will in us, despite how painful or humbling it may be, because He has a greater plan for us: plans to prosper us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future. However, the only part of the equation that is missing is: ARE WE WILLING!

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Written by Justin Sng, with the help of Lau Guan Jim