Foundation
“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” - 1 Corinthians 3:10-11
We walk through life with various layers, adapting them to different situations, the people around us, or the expectations placed upon us.
Sometimes, this is acceptable. The challenge arises when our faith and relationship with God also become mere layers and not the core foundation.
I remember my school days when I was still trying to understand my identity. Being a follower of Jesus wasn't the easiest thing to reveal to other conflicted teenagers. So I kept my faith as a layer, which I would only use when I was at church. It did not form the foundation of my decisions or priorities. It was something I got to do on Sundays, but in no way was reflected from Monday to Friday.
But I became an adult. And then, I decided to follow Jesus seriously. However, that didn't resolve my internal conflict. I had to make a conscious decision from a heart that knew the best way to live that new season was to make Him my only foundation. But that decision doesn’t end when I decide to follow Jesus. It will be with me for the rest of my life.
Foundations are the bedrock upon which our lives are constructed. They serve as the root of every decision we make and provide stability in times of challenge.
A robust foundation is crucial; otherwise, when confronted with strong winds, the entire structure can crumble. If our foundation rests on human approval or self-reliance, we risk collapse.
My life is full of ordinary layers, yet the cornerstone of each should invariably be what I believe – my faith in Jesus and my newfound life in Him. When my walk, time or even service to God is one more layer in my life, I fall into the risk of making everything more important or a priority. God and my relationship with Him becomes a task I get to do if I have time or I feel energised. My life and feelings are the central points, and He's a dot in my busy calendar.
When we make Him and our relationship with Him a layer, He will only be a priority when it’s convenient.
However, when He is my main foundation and not just a layer, everything else revolves around Him, rather than Him becoming a satellite to my schedule and desires.
Following Jesus was never supposed to be an easy task. It requires an established foundation in Him to be able to take up our cross daily - putting aside our feelings and wills and embracing His. We know that nothing is easy in this life. The difference between the "hard" with Jesus as our foundation is that His yoke is easy, and His burden is light, very different from what the world offers to us.
Our strong foundation is a person, and that person is Christ Jesus.
For you:
This week I want to encourage you to reflect on how you can more and more make Jesus your main foundation. The source of all your decisions, including your daily + weekly schedule & your priorities.
