The Proper Blueprints
Have you ever wondered why technical drawings used in architecture and engineering are called blueprints? A process that was invented by a French chemist in the mid-1800s used a mix of chemicals to create a process to copy a drawing from one paper to another paper. The paper with the drawing was placed over a blank paper mixed with the chemicals. A reaction occurred that caused the black lines on the original paper to become white on the second paper and the background of the second paper to turn blue, thus the new drawing was called a blueprint. With the advance of technology, this antiquated chemical method was first replaced by a less expensive method that produced dark lines on a white background and later with drawings generated digitally by computer-aided design (CAD) and printed from large format printers or plotters.
When we had our house built a few years ago, imagine what would have happened if the builder didn’t go by the blueprints. What if they just went from memory? The bedroom might have ended up where the kitchen was supposed to be. The improper placement of a load-bearing wall would have jeopardized the structural integrity of the house by not properly distributing the weight down to the foundation. And when cutting a hole for an 8X8 sliding glass door, what if they didn’t actually use a tape measure, but instead just eyeballed the proper length, saying, “That’s close enough.” It would have been very difficult to properly install an 8-foot door in an opening that was six inches too narrow.
Failing to read the blueprints and guessing at board lengths would have disastrous results. Not only is it important to use the correct blueprints and measuring devices, it is also important to make sure that the equipment used is in good working order. What if the saw blade was dull or the laser level was not properly calibrated, well, once again, you can imagine the results?
We too are often judged (measured) by others, and often times also judge ourselves, using many measuring sticks, but most, if not all, of those measuring devices are calibrated incorrectly. Other people are simply not good tools by which to measure our own attitudes and behaviors. On the other hand, if you allow yourself to be measured by Scripture, you will find that you come up short, but in striving to reach that perfect biblical calibration, you will soon find yourself becoming more like Jesus.
Hebrews 4:12-13 tells us that the Bible is what we are to use to calibrate, measure, and judge our thoughts and attitudes. We read, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all of creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”
Are you allowing the Word of God to judge the intents and thoughts of your heart? It is my prayer that you and I, through the power of the Holy Spirit, allow the “perfectly calibrated” and “perfectly measured” Word of God to be the blueprint and measuring stick from which we build our own lives.