What Are You Building? – A Call to Purpose from Mista Yu

Yusef Marshall
Feb 12
4 min read

Updated: Feb 16

🧱 Every Day, You’re Building Something

What’s up, everybody? Happy Friday — another week in the books! Here’s a question I want you to sit with for a moment: What are you building?

You might be thinking, “I’m not a builder — I don’t even own a hammer.

”But the truth is, you are building something — every single day of your life. — ”But the truth is, you *are* building something — every single day of your life.

Through your actions, your choices, your words, your relationships, and your habits, you’re creating the blueprint for your legacy. Whether you’re building something of quality and integrity or something unstable and short-lived, you’re still a builder.

So the real question is:👉 What are you building today?

⚙️ Builders with Purpose

When one of my mentees asked why I started this podcast, my answer was simple:I do it to help people. I want to serve families, offer hope, and share resources that open prison doors — mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

I’m not chasing sponsorships or ads; I’m chasing freedom — freedom for the listener who needs healing, for the family that needs unity, for the dreamer who needs courage to build again. That’s why I focus on the five facets of health — because true success is whole success.

🏗️ Don’t Build Like a Slumlord

Growing up in Brooklyn, I saw regularly what happens when people build without care or standards. Some builders were slumlords — they cut corners, ignored codes, and built unsafe structures. That same mindset can show up in our spiritual lives, relationships, and work ethics. Don’t build a slum-level legacy. Don’t hand your children or community something unstable. Build with integrity, vision, and quality.

🌧️ When the Storms Come

Let’s talk about Hurricane Katrina for a second. Many believed the levees in Louisiana broke because of the hurricane’s force, but the storm only exposed what was already weak. That’s life: storms don’t create weakness; they reveal it.

The question is, when adversity comes — will what you’ve built stand?

“When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it’s built on bedrock.”— Matthew 7:25 (NLT)

🐜 Consider the Ant

In Proverbs 6:6-9, the Bible says:

“Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise.”

The ant doesn’t have a leader telling it what to do, but it still prepares for winter. It works diligently, knowing adversity is coming.

Winter will always come. In life, winter might look like challenges, loss, criticism, or setbacks — but preparation and consistency keep what you’ve built from collapsing when the seasons change.

💬 The Power of Words in What You Build

Every word you speak is a brick in your life’s foundation. With your words, you can create peace or start a war. You can build a home of love or one of chaos.

“By your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”— Matthew 12:37 (NIV)

I’ve coached people still haunted by words spoken to them decades ago — “You’re not enough.” “You’ll never make it.” Those words became blueprints for their self-image.

Be careful what you build with your words.

🔥 Find Your “Why” and Your Fight

Your why is what wakes you up before sunrise and keeps you pushing when quitting feels easier. Your fight is what gives your why its fire.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said:

“If you haven’t found something you are willing to die for, you aren’t fit to live.”

That’s heavy — but real. What are you willing to fight for? Justice? Family? Purpose? Freedom? Healing?

Without a fight, your foundation has no fire.

⚔️ Adversaries Make Builders Stronger

Every hero has an enemy — a challenge that brings out their best. David had Goliath. Luke Skywalker had Darth Vader. Rocky had Clubber Lang, Drago, and Apollo Creed.

Your adversary might be fear, poverty, unforgiveness, or doubt — but identifying it gives you a target and fuels your determination.

A good enemy can ignite your greatness. Find your fight — and get invested.

🧱 Lessons from Nehemiah and the Three Little Pigs

Remember the three little pigs? Only one built a house that lasted — the one made of brick.

Nehemiah, a servant to a king, left comfort to rebuild his broken city. People mocked him, threatened him, and tried to distract him — but he kept building.

Like Nehemiah, you’re called to build something that outlives you. Don’t stop for distractions. Don’t come down from your wall.

💡 Know the Purpose Behind What You Build

Dr. Myles Munroe said,

“When the purpose of a thing is not known, abuse is inevitable.”

Before you lay another brick, ask yourself:

What am I building?
Why am I building it?
Who will benefit from it when I’m gone?

When you know your why and your purpose, you’ll never build in vain.

🌟 Final Thoughts

You are a builder. Every decision, every word, every act of service adds to the structure of your legacy. So today, build something that blesses others. Build with vision. Build with love. Build with God’s strength. Be a voice to the voiceless. And remember — adversity doesn’t destroy builders; it refines them.