to deck or not to deck

Righteousness and stewardship are two words that pop into my mind as I go through the process of applying for a building permit. I want to do things the proper way. I want to make sure things are squared off. Building permits are a part of the governmental system that we live in, yet, most people don’t get them. Why? It’s simpler, it’s easier and it’s less expensive.
That’s the system isn’t it? Don’t rat out your neighbor and he won’t rat you out, and as long as that happens you can pretty much do whatever you want?

Today I was called “one of the few people who would actually get a permit for [building a deck]” and that seemed strange to me. But when I look at the mounting costs of simply the permit process, I can understand why people don’t do it, I’m even temped to just put it up and build it to code and make it safe. And I’ll save a whole heap of money, isn’t that being a good steward of what God’s given me?

Righteousness has a cost too, sometimes it’s monetary, and sometimes it comes in the form of not doing what you feel like doing. In this case I really and truly believe that Jesus calls us to honor our governments. So as a Christian I am going to stand in that, I am called to honor the Township of Langley and the BC Legislature and get the permit or not build.

In this I will stand firm, I’m not going to compromise what I’ve been called to be, that is to become more like Christ, and the cost is going to be felt financially, and immediately.