No matter who we are, how much money we have in the bank, or how popular we might be, none of it matters if we are not living the truth. We live in a world where everyone thinks they know the truth or they have an opinion about it, but the proof is in the pudding, so to speak. Truth is the most potent reality in all of creation, and it doesn’t bend or yield to our assumptions or opinions. Truth is the mirror that reflects the degree to which we know and trust it. So, we can look at the conditions and circumstances of our own lives, and they will speak very loudly and precisely about our relationship with the truth.
Through the Apostle Paul, God has given us a tremendous piece of knowledge about our purpose in His Will and Plan. In 1Corinthians 3:10(NLT), Paul said, “According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it.” The grace of God is His unmerited favor. We can’t do anything to earn God’s grace. He freely gives it to us because He loves us so much. Paul tells us that it is because of this very grace that God bestowed the honor on him of being a wise master builder.
Now, we need to pause here and notice the distinction Paul makes. Through God’s grace, he became a wise master builder and not a foolish one. It greatly behooves us to know the difference between the two, and in this verse, Paul breaks it down for us. He is a wise master builder because he laid a foundation on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. You see, Paul understood that we’re here on this earth to have a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ. The faith, bond, and strength of our relationship with God requires us to get some things accomplished for His Kingdom. Accomplishing what God has called us to do is how we bear fruit and flourish in life. But Paul didn’t set out on his own and try to make things happen by himself. He knew that this would not be a wise move. He followed the leadership and direction of Jesus Christ. He followed the blueprint our Master Jesus left, and this was an incredibly wise thing to do.
Paul built his life on the foundation of Jesus Christ, because Jesus Christ is the living Word of God. Jesus Christ is the truth! John 1:1-4(NLT) declares, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone.” Jesus Christ brings life to everything, he makes everything come alive with God’s love and light, and we desperately need this in our lives.
No one can build a house on shaky ground and expect it to stand, but that is what we do with many of our relationships. We don’t build them on the impenetrable and incorruptible foundation of Jesus Christ, instead, we try to make ourselves the glue that holds them together. That’s not a workable strategy. Many of us go into relationships using the tools of our unresolved pain, and we incorporate the building material of our past relationship experiences. These tools and materials are faulty and using them will cause us disappointment in the end.
Jesus Christ teaches in Luke 6:47-49(NLT), “47 I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. 48 It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. 49 But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”
God has given us the extraordinary privilege and empowerment through Jesus Christ to build relationships that stand the test of time. We have gotten so far away from God’s standard that we can scarcely believe such a thing is possible, but God is the truth! He has instructed us to build on the foundation of Jesus Christ so we can live a blessed life and build strong families who honor Heavenly Father and love Him. He tells us in 1Corinthians 4:20(NLT), “For the Kingdom of God is not just a lot of talk; it is living by God’s power.” He didn’t give us faulty material and tools to build a life. God has made it possible for us to build our lives and our relationships on something real. The only way to do it is through knowing and trusting the power of His Word. When we do trust God’s truth and live by it, everything we touch will be held together by the strength of His love and the faith of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“Relationships That Stand the Test of Time”, written for Crazynlove.com ©2021. All rights reserved. All done to the glory of God through Jesus Christ, our Lord!