Friday, November 10, 2023
“If you build it, they will come” is an oft-used misquote from the 1989 film, Field of Dreams. The actual quote is, “If you build it, he will come.” The word “they” found its way into the quote somehow. But I’m not sure if it’s wise advice. People have big dreams. They think that if they build their idea, it will attract lots of people. Theme parks, retail establishments, residential communities, restaurants, churches, etc. – many of them never attracted a soul. They folded up not long after they were built up and hyped up.
Perhaps a better way of thinking of this quote is this – “If you build them up, they will come.” In other words, if you find a way to uplift, to help, to inspire, to encourage, to heal, and to point others to a way of hope and joy, they will come. If your focus is out of a genuine concern for the betterment of others, you’ll have a far greater chance of realizing a dream.
If someone has an uplifting experience with you, or you change their life for the better, you are building The Kingdom. If you try to build your kingdom, you’ll attract nobody, and what you build will be in vain. Are you building up your fortune, your concerns, and your ego; or are you building up the collective spirit? Are you making winners out of people, or are you downgrading them to make yourself into a “winner?” Build someone up, and they’ll help you by telling everyone that you are a source of goodness and hope. Let them sing your praises because you praised them first. If you drown them with your sorrows, if you use them to get ahead, or if you tear them down, they’ll flee. If you build them up, they will come. Remember, it’s “Thy Kingdom come,” not my kingdom come.