I visited one of the tallest buildings in a city years ago. As I listened to the leader of the organisation, he made a remark that provided timely insight for me. He said; “What went down into the foundation of this building is perhaps more than what you see on the outside. We invested a lot in the foundation.”
Friend, foundation matters. Every building rests on the strength of its foundation. Foundation problems are not easily correctable (Psalms 11:3). If the window of a building is faulty, you can get it repaired easily. If the painting peels off, you can repaint without it affecting the whole building. But if the foundation is faulty, the whole building may have to come down for it to be corrected.
You don’t want to spend your life building something that would one day be pulled down (1 Corinthians 3:11-15). You want to build to last. You want to build for the future. You want to build something that would pass the test of time and pressure. Your foundation will affect your response or reaction to life’s challenges.
It is not the pressure on the outside that crushes people. It is the emptiness on the inside (Proverbs 24:10). Pressures will always come. Environmental circumstances may not always be favourable. But your building must be solid enough to withstand all of those (Matthew 7:24-27). Life’s challenges are not meant to crush you; they are meant to test you and reveal your authenticity (John 14:30).
The right foundation will help the right formation. Some things are better learnt early enough, or else they become difficult going forward (2 Timothy 3:15). You must not be in a hurry to lay the right foundation. Ministry is a marathon. You need the right foundation, not just the passion to do God’s work. Marriage is work. You need to be well prepared for it. The same applies to other areas of life.
When God is training you for the future, don’t play truant. The things you do not pay attention to today may be the very things that would define you in the future. Foundations must not be laid in a hurry. The time spent to lay the right foundation is not time wasted but time invested. Like Ephraim, don’t jump out of divine process (Hosea 7:8). Mind today what would matter tomorrow. You will succeed!
‘Demola Awoyele
Lead Pastor,
Destiny Impact Church
Akure, Nigeria