"For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ."Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;"Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is."If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward."If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."
1 Corinthians 3:11-15 KJV
This passage hit home when I read it the other day. What am I building upon my foundation? Like the three piggies and the big bad wolf, the house that withstood his blow was made of stone. Building a strong home is not an easy task, just as it is not easy to build a strong relationship with our God. It takes work. It takes time. It takes sacrifice, to give up what we want to choose Him.
God has laid the foundation, Jesus Christ, in our hearts, but what we choose to build thereupon is our choice.
Where do we go from there? What occupies our attention? Do we seek out the Lord everyday, desiring to draw closer to Him more and more? Are we building with gold, silver and precious stones? Or do we mindlessly live for ourselves, taking little thought to grow in our walk with God? Do we let greed, jealousy, and the lusts of the flesh control us? Are we building with wood, hay, and stubble?
Our faith will be tried. Our relationship and faith in God will be tested. When the fire of trial consumes us, what will remain? When we hit rock bottom, what will stay steadfast?
Verse 15 explains that we may suffer loss. However, we are also promised that we shall still be saved. Despite how unquenchable the fire, or how blistering the heat, there is nothing that can burn away our foundation in Christ. No thing can ever take away what God has laid for us. In this, we can rest assured.
What do people see when they look at us? What do they think? How do they view us? Despite common belief, we are not invisible to those around us. When we least expect it, there is often someone watching. We proclaim one thing with our mouths, but do we prove another with our works? Do they see Jesus in us? What does the world see us building upon our foundation?