September 3: National Skyscraper Day

 

September 3: National Skyscraper Day

March 28, 1993.  That was the date we held our first service in a new church of which I was the lead pastor.  Completely new to that role, I was gob smacked by the success we enjoyed.  In only a few years, we were approaching attendance of 2,000 on a weekend.  As the church had grown, so had my pride.  It was subtle but profound.  I was the envy of other local pastors, and as we broke ground on our new $11,000,000 project, my head nearly exploded at what I had help build.  My unwillingness and inability to face my own pride soon resulted in a great fall.  I had built my own “tower of Babel” and God rescued me from certain doom (I’ll share the details later).

Skyscrapers have only been around for about 130 years. The world’s first skyscraper was completed in 1885 in Chicago and it stood only 138 feet tall, a mere 10 stories that would not even count as a skyscraper today. But the name stuck, and initially any building that towered high over the surrounding structures was dubbed a skyscraper. Over time, our ability to engineer and construct skyscrapers improved drastically, and now a building must have at least 40 floors to be classified as a skyscraper at all.

How ironic that mankind’s first attempt at prideful rebellion against God took the form of…a skyscraper!  Genesis 11 records the story of how humanity did what it has always done—glorify themselves rather than God:  “Then they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves.” (Verse 4)

Take a moment and look up or look at a picture.  The skyline is dotted with one attempt after another to make a name for ourselves.  Of course, other, often more practical considerations are involved in building tall buildings, but in every case, there is at least a hint of pride.  Why do nations still compete to build “the world’s tallest building?” 

On this day, look at the landscape of your own life.  Where are the skyscrapers of pride?  Where are the structures dedicated to making a name for yourself?  What parts of your life need to be torn down to make room for God’s Spirit to move in? Please, begin that work now.  The infinite love of God will not allow you to continue building indefinitely.  Perhaps, together, we can mark September 3 as "National Room For God Day."  It’s time for the skyscrapers of pride to fall.