ARE YOU BUILDING ON THE ORIGINAL FOUNDATION?

"By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss but yet will be saved—even though only as one escaping through the flames. (I Corinthians 3:10-15)




This verse written by Paul is a warning. He personally testifies that only by God's grace, He chose Christ as his foundation upon which everything else in his life is being built on. He then cautions his fellow Christian brothers to "build with care." If Jesus Christ is our sure foundation, and the construction of our lives rises up out of, and as a result of that foundation, why would Paul see the need to issue a caution advisory?

I believe the next statement explains...."For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

I believe that we as Christians today should heed Paul's warning to the early Christians and consider what we are building our lives on as we seek to honor the Lord every day. There may come moments in our lives that can easily turn into seasons, if we are not careful, where we become too easily pleased with the good, rather than the best, when it comes to our building.

Jesus Christ is the one and only foundation upon which we are commanded to build our faith, our strength, and our hope. There is no room for substitutes, even temporary ones mistakenly placed on top of that original ROCK!

You could fill in the blank. How does the quantity and quality of your time spent with Christ compare to the time you might be using to build by........

Emailing, face booking, blogging, (in the name of Christ,of course)?

Searching for and listening to inspirational music?

Reading edifying spiritual-growth books, blogs, and publications?

Talking to friends on the phone as a means of encouraging each other and sharing what Christ is doing in your lives?

Serving in the church, in ministries, in your neighborhoods, in your friend's families?

Mentoring or Discipling a brother or sister, or being mentored yourself?

When you do NOT get to spend the time you want doing one or more of the above, how do you react? Are you upset and almost angry because you didn't get to do what you wanted?

How about if one of the points listed leads to disappointment, and brings hurt or offense, how do you handle that?

In comparison, do you get the same feelings of being deprived, or lack joy when you don't get to spend time with your Lord????

And so I ask, to make you think... Is the time you are spending in daily, if not hourly construction time consisting of the secondary materials rising up ON TOP OF your original completed foundation, Christ alone? Have those things become your spiritual construction site focus? Are you spending too much time on the less important things to please yourself, that make you feel good about your "service" to the Lord, rather than investing your building time on the best things that please the Savior first?

"At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood at my side and gave me strength." (II Timothy 4: 16,17)

Things and people will let you down.

Christ will never leave you or forsake you. He is there ALL the time. That is why HE IS THE ROCK. He is solid. Unshakable. Loyal. Strong. Faithful. Never disappointing. As He was with Paul, He is with you, always at your side, giving you strength to choose Him as the BEST....over the things that are good... but of lesser quality.

Do a quality check. Make sure that getting to know CHRIST better and better is the foundation you are still building your days and life on. "No one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."

Build With Care. You must do it on purpose, with focused intention, paying attention daily.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash." (Matthew 7: 24-27)

Do not do away with the "good things" in building. They are the materials to build UP your walls, but never let them become a "second layer" foundation covering over the best.... your original solid Rock foundation.

"On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand, all other ground is sinking sand! " (Christ the Solid Rock hymn)




You are washed in the blood of Christ, and clothed in His righteousness. In this...you stand secure in the culture's shifting sands.

Lord, show us where we may be building with the wrong things or in the wrong way. May our foundation always be Christ the Rock, and Christ alone.

"Teach me, and I will be quiet; show me where I have been wrong." (Job 6:24)

Blessings,