ISAIAH PAULEY
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Cross Words
  • Some Sermons


Don't forget your foundation

11/3/2018

Comments

 
Picture
I don’t know about you, but I enjoy looking at nice homes along the road. Beautiful brick patterns. Unique roof pitches. Fancy windows. It’s fun to admire such homes, but there’s something I never look at — the foundation.

Every beautiful home needs a solid foundation. But we never pay attention to foundations. Instead, we marvel at what meets the eye. We gasp in amazement at the brick walls, but we don’t even consider the foundation holding those walls up.
​
Our culture cares more about looks than legitimacy. This is most obvious in our perception of people, including ourselves. We often base those perceptions on appearance rather than foundation. As a result, we’re deceived into toxic relationships and find it difficult to live consistently with ourselves. We don’t know who we are.
However, God cares more about legitimacy than looks. Before Samuel anoints Israel’s king, God says, “‘Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart’” (1 Sam. 16:7 ESV). God is all about foundation. In His eyes, inward stability is more valuable than outward appearance.

Despite this, we often focus on outward appearance. We worry about the way things appear to others. Instead, we should be worried about the legitimacy of our decisions as they pertain to God’s Word.

If we refuse to recognize the importance of our foundations, then we’re living fake lives. And when we’re living fake lives, we’re compromising what God desires to accomplish through us.

In this season, God is building a stronger foundation in my life. And I believe He is strengthening the foundations of all who allow Him.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, “‘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’” (Matt. 7:24-25 NLT).

There are three things I want to draw from this text.

First of all, Jesus says we must listen to Him if we desire a strong foundation. We must be receptive to His voice. Contrary to popular opinion, we’re incapable of building our own foundations. Only God can do that. Therefore, we must listen to His Word.

Secondly, Jesus says we must follow Him if we desire a strong foundation. In other words, listening is worthless unless we’re willing to follow. The Bible says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like” (James 1:22-24 ESV).

Learning how to incorporate God’s Word into your thoughts, attitudes, and actions can be hard. But this is the key to foundation building. Don’t give up!

Lastly, Jesus emphasizes the importance of a strong foundation during the storms of life. There’s a reason why we need strong foundations in the Lord. Life is full of difficult times. If we don’t have a strong foundation, we’re likely to collapse. For some, this means leaving God altogether. For others, this means depression, suicide, or aggression.

Maybe you’re struggling through loss, anxiety, confusion, cancer, or some other hurtful thing. But here’s my encouragement to you: allow God to strengthen your foundation. There’s something you can’t see. There’s more to your situation than you’re aware of. Never forget how good God is. Let Him be your foundation. In Him, nothing can make you collapse.

“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-4 ESV).

Don’t forget your foundation.
Comments

    Categories

    All
    Calling
    Christmas2019
    Church
    Colossians Series
    Confidence
    Direction
    Discipleship Series
    Doubt
    Ephesians Series
    Esther Series
    Expectations
    Failure
    Faith
    Fear
    Forgiveness
    Grace
    Grief
    Hope
    Identity
    Joy
    Justice
    Life
    Love
    Marriage
    Origins Of Christ
    Passion
    Peace
    Perspective
    Philemon Series
    Prayer
    (Re ) Series
    Rest
    Sacrifice
    Salvation
    Sin
    Surrender
    Thanksgiving
    Trust
    Work
    Worry
    Worship

    Archives

    June 2022
    December 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    January 2017
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

Proclaiming the Word through writing since 2014.

© 2022 Isaiah Pauley
  • Home
  • Bio
  • Cross Words
  • Some Sermons