One of my family members beamed with joy as she shared with me all the renovations she has so far made to her lovely new home. It has been several months but finally things are now coming together. She happily shared with me a few before and after pictures of the kitchen, a bedroom and a bathroom. The construction is not yet complete, but the work done so far is exquisite and masterful. I can hardly wait for the final reveal.
Construction
As happy as she was with the progress and the work already done, my relative was however keen on reminding me that construction is no easy task and that it can sometimes be very frustrating. There are just so many elements that must fit together seamlessly and sometimes you have to completely remove a part of the whole and replace it, so as to make the final product that much better. All this talk about renovations and construction made my mind imagine back to when the house was first built. I found myself thinking about the blueprints that were first developed for the house and I wondered what the construction process was like back then. What building materials were utilized? Who were the workmen and tradesmen employed to work on the house? How was the foundation for the house laid?
I then started to think about my own foundation, the foundation of my life. As a born again Christian and a child of God, I know and accept that Jesus Christ is my foundation. But I pondered to myself, what does that truly mean? The Concise Oxford English Dictionary defines a foundation as “the lowest-load bearing part of a building, typical below ground level”. In applying this definition to the person, it can then be concluded that one’s foundation is that which is deep within, that helps one to stand against and bear the “loads” of life.
The blueprint
In Jeremiah Chapter 1 verse 5 (NIV), the Lord told Jeremiah the prophet that “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you…”. It is quite clear that God had a plan for Jeremiah even before Jeremiah came into existence. The Lord therefore had a blueprint for him before he was created. The word of God in Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 20 (NIV) also tells us that “for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them”. The scriptures therefore clearly demonstrate that the Lord was very intentional about each of His creation. The Lord made plans for each of us and designed us especially, He had a blueprint for us. Just as the Lord had a blueprint for Jeremiah, so too the Lord has a blueprint for all His creation, all His people.
Every great edifice begins with a blueprint, prepared by an architect who thoughtfully and carefully designed what he intends that building to ultimately be. It is evident that when the Lord designed us, as part of that blueprint, there were measures put in place for the establishment of a firm foundation for us and that firm foundation is Jesus Christ. It was always God’s plan for mankind to have Jesus Christ as his foundation. This was part of God’s grand design for us, our blueprint. Indeed in 1st Corinthians Chapter 3 verse 11 (NIV), the word of God advises us that “for no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” Just as every great edifice derive from a foundation, so too the edifices of our lives must be erected on a firm foundation, which is Jesus Christ.
Build your life on Jesus
To make Jesus Christ your firm foundation is to build your life on Him. A life built on Jesus Christ inevitably requires a relationship with Him and in knowing who He is. A life built on Jesus Christ requires us to walk in His light and in His path, to heed his words and teachings, to abide by the word of God. Indeed, Ephesians Chapter 2 verse 20 (NLT) outlines to us that “together, we are His house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.” Jesus Christ is therefore absolutely critical and indispensable to our foundation. Without Jesus Christ as our foundation our edifice is compromised and will easily be toppled by the loads of life. With Jesus Christ as our foundation our edifices are strong, firmly established and fortified.
The word of the Lord in Matthew Chapter 7 verse 24 (NIV) advises us that “Therefore everyone then who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Building your life on Jesus Christ, through abiding by His words, is to have a rock solid foundation for your life and this is part of God’s grand design for us, this was contained in the blueprints for our lives.
Let us therefore build our lives on a rock solid found Let us build our lives on Jesus Christ.