Building on a Solid Foundation

By Alexandra Copeland

Every person that is living and that has ever lived needs a foundation upon which to build a life. Our Heavenly Father desires that we build our lives on Him through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. If we do this, not only will we grow in spiritual strength, but our lives will be a blessing to others. In Luke 6:48(NLT), Jesus Christ describe a person that listens to his teaching and follows it. He said, “It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built.” If a person has never experienced a storm in life where troubles increasingly rise, they may not find comfort in this verse. But if you’ve ever felt trouble on every hand and didn’t know what to do, this verse is the greatest comfort that can be found.

To build something is to construct it by putting together parts and material that over time make it what it is. Take our own makeup for instance. Genesis 2:7 tells us that God formed our physical bodies from the dust of the ground. Although you and I might think of dust as being full of impurities, this was not the case when Heavenly Father formed our bodies. Everything in the earth was made of His glory, and nothing was impure or less than perfect. He made a human suit from dust, and then He breathed the breath of life into the man’s nostrils, and he became a living soul.

Genesis 1:26 tells us that God made us in His very own image. He made us three-parts, spirit, soul, and body; and all these parts must be maintained and nurtured so that we will thrive as a person. God didn’t create us to take care of the maintenance and nurturing alone, His Will and plan is that we remain firmly anchored in Him, and this connection will cause all parts of us to work together beautifully.

Heavenly Father wanted a family, and through Christ, we are His children. He didn’t create us to be robots or puppets. He wants us to love and honor Him because we choose to, not because we are forced to. Love doesn’t force. He wants us to be a part of His Holy Kingdom, and as such, we are ambassadors for Christ. We partner with God through His Son in order to expand His love in the earth. So, we don’t get to tuck our hands beneath our laps and wait around for God to do all the work. That wouldn’t be a partnership. God has commanded us to get busy building a life that is pleasing to Him and fulfilling to us as well.

The Apostle Paul said in 1Corinthians 3:10(NLT), “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.” You and I are God’s house. Our bodies are His temples. We have His power and love operating on the inside of us, each of us a carpenter in our own right. Moving by His leadership and guidance, we are to be master builders just like Paul. Our Master Jesus has already laid the foundation, and you and I are to pick out the very best materials and begin to build on this foundation that Christ has laid.

Paul warns us to be careful how we build. He knew the propensity of some of us to use cheap or inferior materials. We come to our Lord and Savior with nothing, and in return, He gives us everything. This is the beginning of our eternal spiritual journey in Christ, and it is where we ought to begin building by using building material that will last. The wonderful thing about it is that the Spirit of Christ is inside us, and he will help us every step of the way.

Ephesians 2:10(NLT) tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” God created and made us for His glory! We are His masterpieces and He doesn’t half-step. 2Corinthians 5:17 tells us that if any person is in Christ, if they’ve given their lives to him and made him Lord, then this person has been made a new creation. Their spirits are made brand new, and the old is passed away. No matter where we are in life and what has gone wrong, God can make it right, but we must commit ourselves to build on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ by walking in his example. As we do, we will enjoy the good things that God has planned for our lives.■

Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved. 

“Building on a Solid Foundation”, by Alexandra Copeland. Copyright© 2020. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.