1 Corinthians 3:10-11: 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. (NLT)
Paul being a tentmaker understood the delicate nature of building and applied those principles to the church in Corinth. He described himself as an expert builder who build on the right foundation – Christ.
Here, Paul shows us a non-negotiable characteristic of an expert builder: building on a strong foundation as a building without a strong foundation cannot stand the test of time and stress.
Applying this to our spiritual lives and whatever God would have us to build, we must remember that the only way to build right is to build on Christ and the principles in His word. Everything done in the flesh (religion) or out of impure motives cannot stand the test of time: because “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” 1 Peter 1:24-25 (NKJV)
You may now ask: how can I practically build on a strong foundation in my life, in my church, in my bible study or anywhere else God may be calling me to? The answer is plain from scriptures:
First, you need a revelation of Jesus: Matthew 16:15-18 – “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock, I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.
Second, you need to make a commitment to obeying Jesus and His word. Matthew 7:24-27 “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.”
Third, make a commitment to follow the examples of the Apostles. They were focused on prayer; the ministry of the word and they demonstrated a life of holiness. (Acts 6:4; Acts 9:31)
Fourth , check your motives constantly: Your motives reflect the true foundation of whatever you are doing and predict the outcome of whatever you are building and how you respond to trying seasons. Ensure to keep your motives pure in prayer and with consistent self-examination. Philippians 2:3-4 In whatever you do, don’t let selfishness or pride be your guide. Be humble, and honor others more than yourselves. Don’t be interested only in your own life, but care about the lives of others too. (ERV)
Colossians 3:17 Whatever you do, whether in speech or action, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus and give thanks to God the Father through him. (CEB)
For everything you do, ask yourself: why am I doing what I do? Am I doing this to the glory of God?
Remember: no other foundation can any man lay but that which is laid already – Christ. In other words, every other type of foundation that ignores the Person and character of Christ is faulty. Any foundation not rooted in a commitment to listening to the word of God and obeying it is futile. Any foundation not designed to give glory to God will not stand the test of time.
PRAYER: Take time today and speak to God afresh. Reflect on how you have been living your life and repent of every way you have been building wrongly. Ask God to give you the grace and strength to build on the strong foundation of His word in Jesus name. Amen.