Building a lasting foundation

“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, their work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person's work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward.” (1 Corinthians 3.11-14)

As we continue on this journey towards the heart of God through deeper experiences of prayer, listening, reflection, and obedience, I believe the Scripture above has a lot to both teach us and inspire us towards. What we are NOT trying to do is add another bullet point to our spiritual to-do list. What we are NOT trying to do is summon up guilt that we never pray enough. What we are NOT trying to do is look for the path of least resistance, and hope that God will bless our lives more if we can figure out the right prayers to throw up.

What we ARE trying to do is to build on the foundation of God’s love through Jesus Christ in our lives. We are wanting to commune more deeply, hear more clearly, and connect more thoroughly to the heart of God. Listen to and reflect on Warren Wiersbe’s comments on this text to the Brooklyn Tabernacle staff (found on pgs. 135-136 of “Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire”):

“Warren Wiersbe made an interesting observation about [1 Corinthians 3.13] to the Brooklyn Tabernacle staff. ‘What’s the difference between these materials, besides the obvious – that one group is fireproof while the other isn’t? I think it’s significant that the wood, hay, and straw are abundant… right outside your door, or only a few miles away at most. Any forest, any farmer’s field has an abundance of these. But if you want gold, silver, and costly stones, you have to dig for them. They’re not just lying around everywhere. You have to go deep into the earth.’” P135-136

[A spiritual façade] “that uses wood, hay, and straw come easy – little work, little seeking, no travail, no birthing. You just slap it on and it will look adequate – for a while. But if you want to build something that will endure on Judgment Day, the work is much more costly. On that day it won’t matter what your fellow Christians thought of you… You and I will stand before the One whose eyes are ‘like fire.’ We won’t soften him up by telling him how brilliant our strategy was. We will face his searing gaze.”