Firm Foundation

Every building has to have a foundation. Without it, the building would most likely fall apart. You can't build something without a foundation. It might be okay for a while, but eventually, a lack of foundation is inevitably going to cause a variety of problems. I have found that the same is true in our lives. We need to have a solid foundation to build our lives upon, one that will not and cannot be shaken. God really gave me a wake-up call on this one recently. I'd like to say that I have been building my foundation solely on Christ, but I've realized that this is not the case. Especially over the past few years, I've built my foundation on what other people think of me. I've been obsessed with it. If I say or do something that I think may have slightly offended someone, I immediately assume that they hate me, and this causes me to be depressed. If I started to feel good about myself, I would look at someone else and think, "she's better than me. I'll never be as good as her." I would be almost paranoid to be around certain people because I was scared I would do or say something stupid. You can see where this could easily become a problem, because as human beings, we aren't going to be perfect. We can't. We're going to offend people, there's always going to be someone better than us (and we're going to be better than others at certain things), and we are going to embarrass ourselves! Instead of walking on eggshells and being consumed with what other people think of us, we need to focus on who we are in Christ! I started thinking about it, and I realized that other people are going to disappoint me. After all, it's not their job to make me feel valuable! Instead, my foundation has to be built on Christ, in Whom I will NEVER be disappointed. He says I am loved, valuable, His treasured possession, and worth far more than rubies. I always wondered why I could never seem to find the joy that Christians are supposed to have, and then I realized that this joy shines through those who are consumed with Jesus and building their foundation on Him. If I'm building my foundation on anything other than Him, I'm going to end up depressed and constantly longing for more than the opinions of others have to offer. Jesus IS the firm foundation. I have decided to start rebuilding my life's foundation on the one He has already established.