Have you ever watched a house being built? First they prepare the foundation, then they frame the structure, then the sheathing, siding, roof, windows and doors.

Once the house is closed in, it is safe from weather, theft and mischievous damage. Of all the parts of this building process, the foundation always seems to me to take the longest.

I think it is because preparing a strong, firm foundation takes research, time and effort – research into the ground survey, water table, building codes and other legal issues, time to prepare, measure and calculate according to safe building codes, and effort because putting in a foundation is heavy, physical labor.

In the natural, physical world, it is important to build your foundation correctly, whether it is a just a concrete slab, a crawl space, or a full basement. The entire house sits on the foundation. If something goes wrong with the foundation after the house is built, it is really difficult to fix because it is …, well it’s the foundation.

I have several friends who are in construction – they build houses, and as a matter of fact, I have built houses, myself. Not just from an armchair, but swinging a hammer, pouring concrete, digging, painting, wiring, plumbing, drywall, and on and on. When we built our house, I often joked that it was easier for me to construct than to decorate the finished house. Interior decor is just not one of my gifts.

Building your spiritual foundation is just as vital to your spiritual growth as a natural foundation is to the longevity of your home.

What is a spiritual foundation? Of course, if you said ‘Jesus is the Rock on which I stand’ you are absolutely correct. But what does that mean? What is this Rock and how do you stand on it?

The Bible talks about spiritual Foundations. In the book of Hebrews, the writer says,

1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
2 Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment. Hebrews 6:1-2

What was he saying? He was encouraging his readers to lay their spiritual foundations, then move on toward perfection. He was saying that the ‘principles of the doctrine of Christ’ are not meant to be the conclusion of your faith, but the beginning.

What are these principles? The list defines very clearly what the foundations of your faith include:

1. repentance from dead works
2. faith toward God
3. doctrine of baptisms
4. laying on of hands
5. resurrection of the dead
6. eternal judgment

These are the foundations of faith towards God. These are also doctrines that have torn the ‘church’ apart with doctrinal wars, factions, bloodshed, persecution, spiritual snobbery and bigotry.

Is it any wonder that Christianity as a group doesn’t know how to stand up to the ridicule and shame at the hands of secular humanists and other non-believers?

Here is the good news.

There is a structure that you can build on your foundation. It is called ‘Perfection’. It is the visible part of what you are and do: the works, your character, integrity and relationships, to mention a few.

Jesus said,

Greater works shall you do because I go to my Father. John 14:12

What does ‘Greater’ mean? Does it mean more works? Does it mean more powerful works? Does it mean more visible works? Does it mean different works?

Perhaps it means all of the above. I don’t think God wants to limit us to a certain kind of ‘greater’? All teachers want their students to learn the foundations from them and then surpass them with their own brand of ‘perfection’.

God is the Creator. You and I are made in His image. He has put that ‘creator’ character in each and every one of His people. Does God limit us, or do we limit ourselves (one of the effects of religion) according to what we have included in our foundations?

What would happen if the foundation of a house had some bad concrete mixed in? It would be weak. You might not notice the weakness until stress occurred, such as flooding, high winds, extra heavy loads or big temperature swings. If your foundation is incomplete or becomes eroded, your structure could be damaged or destroyed because of a faulty foundation.

The same thing happens with your spiritual foundation. If you don’t have the whole foundation, it is weak. As long as there are no challenges, the weakness may be undetected. After all, the nature of a foundation is that it is usually buried under the structure and therefore is invisible.

Without a strong, firm spiritual foundation, your spiritual house cannot withstand attacks, such as public or family opinion; rejection, discouragement, sickness and death, financial trouble, pride, fear, envy, greed, lust, just to mention a few. Your spiritual structure may collapse when you are overwhelmed with life and living.

Here’s what Jesus said about your foundation:

24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Matthew 7:24-27

Blessings to you,
Chandra Lynne