MaineStreams

A solid foundation allows us to go higher

The Burj Khalifa, tallest building in the world, has a very deep foundation

1 Corinthians 3:11-14 (Modern Translation of the Wycliffe Bible):

For no one can lay another foundation other than what has been laid, which is Christ Jesus. For if anyone builds with gold, silver, precious stones, sticks, grass, or stubble upon this foundation, every man’s work will be exposed, for the day of the Lord will reveal it. And it will be revealed using fire.

The fire will test each person’s work, revealing what sort of work it is. If anyone’s work which he built upon that foundation survives, he will receive a reward.

God wants us to establish a foundation for His Kingdom.  The deeper the foundation, the higher we can go once God finally gives us His “building permit”.

For example,  Coach Carson reminds us that the foundations of the Burj Khalifa are buried over 164 feet into the ground! It is made up of 192 piles (concrete cylinders) that are each 5 feet wide. A total of 58,900 cubic yards of reinforced concrete was used to build the foundation alone.  This foundation is not wasted; it allows the Burj Khalifa to be the tallest building in the world, standing at 2,722 feet high.

Foundations require long-term strategy

In the long run, we should use solid materials such as gold, silver and precious stones to build the foundation of our lives. Such materials are very expensive.  They take a long time to gather, a long time to melt down, and to solidify at just the right density before the next layer is laid.

We can be embarrassed for our lack of progress above the ground while those around us call us “fruitless”.  And the seeming progress others are making above the surface can tempt us to try to keep up.

Think of how much faster things would go if we replaced the gold, silver and precious stones with wood, hay and stubble:

• People would be impressed with our rapid progress when we’re using grass and hay to make the walls.
• Our work gets done in record time.
• And when a project is over, the contractor gets paid!

But we must never compromise solid foundations so that we can more easily impress others.  Otherwise, the fire of the trials of life will leave us embarrassed later on, for eternity.