I decide to write this as a result of a spirited conversation I had with a friend who was perplexed over why people who don’t even have any relationship with God can prosper and do well in life. It made her wonder about her own faith in God and as a result, I decided to write this.
Foundations are the most important aspect in the construction business. If you’ve ever seen a house or any sort of building been built you would notice the foundations go deep. They require the plow machines to dig deep trenches so that the beams, which will later either serve as the frame of the house or the support for the ground level construction.
Either way, foundations serve an important component in the construction business. Likewise it is the same when it comes to faith. Too often without proper foundation, I have seen people lose faith far too easily, or give up hope easier than those who have no religion and they often wonder “what is wrong with my faith?”
Some go into despair thinking that perhaps God is not real afterall, or that maybe it’s some kind of emo-feeling based thing. After all, their atheist friends seem to be just fine and dandy carrying on with their own lives. Why is it that the Christian then finds it difficult to live his or her Christian vocation?
Based on my own personal experience, I would say it has to do with getting the foundations right. I know this simply because I too was once a wishy-washy christian who went through the motions of the christian life. When I talk about foundations, I am not talking about baptism and being reborn again or anything like that.
No I am talking about conscious foundations. Understanding and being able to truly grasp fundamental questions such as “Who am I?” and “What is God to me?”. Being able to honestly answer this questions is no chicken feet. The soul is often like an ocean, it can toss and turn at any minute and it be calm at times.
As humans, we think we have everything in life. We think we are complete, but truth of the matter is, we will never be complete. Don’t believe me? Ask yourself this: When is the last time you felt truly happy or at peace? How long did it last? What was the source of that happiness?
I am convinced, having merely lived for only 28 years now, that no matter how much of money and wealth one has, one will never be satisfied. As C.S Lewis brilliantly then asks in his book Mere Christianity – Could it be that because our hearts desire for something that cannot be fulfilled in this world, that perhaps there is another object that can satisfy us? (that object being God)
Its important and vital to our own soul to be able to answer the 2 questions I posed above because from it the foundations for our life is laid out. And I will admit, to answer these questions earnestly requires faith. Faith is what allows us to even have a relationship with God in the first place, faith allows us to see things differently. Consider the people who were healed in the presence of Christ. They all shared a commonality – faith. And yes faith is important, because without faith, it is impossible for us to see God’s hands in our lives.
Once we have faith properly checked, the next thing we need to ask ourselves as part of getting the foundations right is “what’s my relationship with God?” This is also another pivotal question because it shapes how you look at God. Are you only seeking His hands and only sometimes his face? To the atheist, God is only proven if he can work something in your life, he can grant your wishes. If God can’t do that and if the atheist can do it without God’s aid, then the justification is simple : The atheist doesn’t need God.
But that’s a very worldly view. In fact that’s a very poor justification because it then makes God look like a one-trick-pony, or a magician, or worse… a genie in the bottle. And this is the problem that most christians who do not have a solid foundation with God fail to see. It’s very tempting to follow the logic of the atheist, but it’s also foolish to think that God is a genie in a bottle, ready to do what we wish for.
As a christian, having the right foundation is more than just getting prayers answered or hoping for blessings in life. A christian is meant to live life with God, just like a family. Things always don’t go your way when you don’t get along with mum and dad, but that doesn’t mean you don’t need the family isn’t it? It’s the same with God. It’s more than just getting stuff from His hands…it’s about a relationship with Him and learning to live in that relationship with Him.
Now that’s how you get the right foundation!
