Like a building, our Christian life is only as sturdy and strong as the foundation upon which it rests. Jesus tells us, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)
For most of us the hardest part of starting our new life as a Christian is when the Holy Spirit comes into our heart like a demolition crew to tear down the old life we had built on the shifting sand of our sinful nature and excavate out all of the hidden debris (bad habits, stinking thinking, etc.); establishing our new life on a foundation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and scripture. It is necessary to leave the old life behind and beginning a new one in Christ. A Christian life that will survive the storms and floods that will surely come against us.
In his first letter to the church in Corinth, Paul also uses that analogy for building the Christian life. “Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have – Jesus Christ.”
(1 Corinthians 3:10-11)
Just like the construction of a building, the higher you want it to be, the deeper must be the foundation to counterbalance and support the added weight. How high do you want your Christian life to reach? Do you have a deep enough foundation? Building and living the Christian life is not easy, but I can tell you from experience that it is the most rewarding thing anyone can ever do in this life; with the bonus of eternal life that continues when this one comes to an end. The life, death and resurrection of Jesus make it possible. The Holy Spirit does all of the heavy lifting. All we have to do is stay out of His way and obey His promptings as God prepares us for the life He has planned for us as His son or daughter.
As we begin a new year, it is a good time to ask the Holy Spirit to become our building inspector. Pointing out any debris that has started to accumulate again and making sure our life in Christ remains firmly on its foundation.