You can’t build upon the knowledge you haven’t yet learned. This simple truth struck me last night in our small group. Looking back at my life each step that I have taken has been instrumental, foundational, as I entered the next phase of this journey we call life. And yet, as we move forward we are in a sense, limited – confined by the foundations we have created.
A home cannot rest upon a foundation that is inadequately prepared to bear its weight. With too much pressure, weight and external force the foundation will crack and in time, the house will collapse. We are not unlike such a house. Instead of centering our attention on the foundation, we shift our focus elsewhere, allowing the foundation to go unnoticed. This in and of itself is not a bad thing. The focal point of a home is not the foundation it is built on, but it is a key element to its existence. No foundation, no home.
The Bible shares a story of two builders, found in Matthew 7:24-27. One builds his home on a rock, the other on the sand. The wind and waves come and the house on the sand is washed away. I’m sure this is a familiar story for many of you.
My question today is not about the storms and struggles you are going through, but the kind of house are you building. We all know storms WILL come, in one season or another. Instead of focusing on the storm, the wind and the rain (which is exactly what caused Peter to start sinking once he was out of the boat), examine your foundation. Have you built a bigger house than your foundation can support? Do you have something inside of you that you desire to accomplish but feel limited and held back, unable to achieve your dreams?
Invest your time, energy and effort into the seemingly small, insignificant things, the foundational things, and watch God work in and through you to build upon that foundation something that will endure. Lay a strong foundation, set a solid tone, appropriately invest your effort and resources and watch as your home builds and supports itself.