BUILDING ON THE FOUNDATION

So we have laid our foundation, and it is secure – purely anchored in the Word of God.  We therefore intentionally choose God’s Word as the standard, the yardstick and the sieve for all that we embrace in our daily lives – in our lifestyles.  This Word is none other than Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11). 

Let us now focus on the actual building - what materials should we use to build lives of faith (listening and obeying) the Lord Jesus? 
In the construction industry, there are many materials that are used for building.   Some buildings are constructed using stone, others using timber, while still others are constructed using iron sheets as well as grass.  The quality and longevity of these buildings depend on the material used.  Their ability to withstand calamities such as floods, fire and theft will also depend on the material used. 


Any human being, and in this case a believer is a spiritual being, with a soul, and living in the body.   This reveals 3 critical facets of our lives i.e. 

Spirit
Soul (Mind, Will and Emotions)
Body

Taking the whole believer, what materials are we currently using to build considering the 3 facets?  What materials do we use for the spirit?  What materials do we use for the mind, the will and the emotions?  How about our bodies? 

The Sprit – We thank God that He has created us in His image and likeness.  The spirit of man is what looks like God, (Genesis 2:7).  So we have only one type of material to build the spirit – God’s Word!  But are we adequately building the spiritual man?  Are we reading the word of God as we ought to?  Or, have we malnourished the Spirit?  Have we empowered the spiritual man to take charge of our souls and bodies?   Proverb 18:14 notes that “The strong spirit of a man sustains him in bodily pain or trouble, but a weak and broken spirit who can raise up or bear?” 

Whereas man is consistently known to take periodic meals (Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner) to feed the body, is there a consistency in feeding the spirit?  How does a 2-hour Sunday service once a week compare to 3 meals x 7 days a week?  What becomes and remains strong – the body or the spirit?  You may object and tell me that you do your devotions once a day – what is the effect of these devotions to your spirit?  Are they a form of ritual or are you intentional in developing your spirit?

The Soul – This is a powerful part of the whole person.  It comprises one’s mind, will and emotions.  How long does it take to develop one’s intellectualism?  In the current 8:4:4 Education System in Kenya, (which is being phased out), a learner has 3 years of pre-school, 8 years of primary, 4 years of secondary school and 4 years of university.  In total, these are 19 years of developing one’s mind.  These have not considered the time taken for any other additional learning such as a second or third degree.  If anyone spends all this time developing just the intellect, how much more should the spiritual man be developed? 

Without any intentionality to develop the spiritual man, an intellectual person, will have an empowered mind that subjects the spirit to it.  The mind becomes the standard, the yard stick and the sieve that one uses to filter information in life. 

One’s will and emotions flow freely with either the mind or the spirit, depending on which one has been built more.  If one’s spirit is built and equipped in the word of God, the emotions and will thereof, will be subjected to the word.  It will be easy to say, “Lord, not my will but yours”, it will be easy to control anger; and it will be easy to look at other people from God’s lens.  On the other hand, it will be easily to rationalize things based on one’s
that is not founded and sieved through the light of the word of God, if the mind is developed more than the spirit. 

Minds cannot think beyond what one’s spirit allows, nor will one’s will or emotions be exercised freely outside their spiritual power.  However, if the spiritual man is not empowered through the Word of God, then, the other 2 aspects will rise above the spiritual and take charge.

Friend, I would like you to note that intellectualism is a great tool for not only development but advancing the gospel.  But it cannot be looked into in isolation of God’s word. 

The bible in Colossians 2:8 admonishes us not to be “led astray with empty philosophy and high sounding nonsense that come from HUMAN THINKING (mind) and from the evil powers of this world and not from Christ.” (NLT).  The same verse reads as follows in the Amplified Version:

“See to it that no one carries you off as spoil or makes you yourselves captive by his so-called philosophy and intellectualism and vain deceit (idle fancies and plain nonsense), following human tradition (men’s ideas of the material rather than the spiritual world), just crude notions following the rudimentary and elemental teachings of the universe and disregarding (the teachings of) Christ (the Messiah).”

The Body – Our bodies are tents, they are vehicles that facilitate our living here on earth.  They enable us to connect from point ‘A’ to ‘B’, and they will aid us in communicating with each other, whether in verbal or non-verbal modes. They are also the temples of the Holy Spirit.  How then, should we build them to facilitate a lifestyle that fits in the spiritual life that we have been called into through Christ Jesus?

I am thinking of a believer’s eating habits, dressing, communication, relationships, areas we visit and many more aspects of our lives that exclusively involve our bodies.  Looking at relationships, for instance, we see the bible warning us that “… bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33).  It further warns us not to “team up with those who are unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14).  This does not mean that we eliminate non-believers from our lives – Paul says that we would have to leave this world to do that.  But it means that we don’t have deals together – partnerships such as businesses.  This is because light cannot live in darkness (see verses 14-16).  How will you convince your non-believer partner that you need to give tithe? What will be your reaction when they have to bribe?  How about a little lies here and there… so as to survive in business?  Light cannot live in darkness!!!

How about communication – Look at Proverbs 15:1, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but harsh words stir up anger”. 

What do we allow our eyes to see?  What do we allow our ears to hear?  Getting a little closer – what TV programmes/movies do you watch and of course listen to?  What music do you listen to?  What are you feeding the soul, the body and the spirit with that you consume through these media?

I submit to you dear reader that you are a product of what you see and hear; you are a product of your associations (relationships).  You are a product of what you think on (whatsoever a man thinketh, so is he).  Are you happy with the product you have become? Especially as you use the mirror of the word of God?

A Closer look at our Building Materials (TBC)

LAYING A FIRM FOUNDATION


Precisely a week ago, I was invited to join a “Christian Writers and Bloggers” WhatsApp Group.  In my one week membership to the group, we have exchanged/shared so much to the extent that I feel like the group has existed for more than a year.  Earlier, a close friend had asked me if I could open a blog where I could share some of the inspiration messages that I have been sharing occasionally with her and other friends in my network.  My friend did not know that I had opened a blog over 5 years ago, but it had been inactive for some time.  Whereas this message is meant to bless and minister to all who access it, it is dedicated to Anne Mureithi, my dear friend and, Jane & Mugure, the administrators to the “Christian Writers and Bloggers” WhatsApp Group.  Thank you dear ones for stirring me up to activate my Blog – Karibuni!  Let’s be refreshed by the word of God together.

I am currently reading the book of Job in the Bible.  What stands out for me from the beginning of this book is the importance of a strong foundation.  Whether one is building a house, going through an education programme or starting a family, the foundation they lay for the undertaking determines its permanence and longevity as well as the ability to bear roughness of whatever sort.

Our Christian foundation is no different.  What informs our foundation as believers – is it the prestige of the church (assembly) that we go to every Sunday?  Is it the Pastor or Bishop? Is it material blessing? What are the materials that constitute the foundation of a believer?  Job in the bible was a “blameless man of complete integrity.  He feared God and stayed away from evil” (Job 1:1).  Besides, he was a very wealthy man.  He however had calamity befall him and in a very short span of time, he lost all his children and all the wealth.  Yet, “In all this, Job did not sin by blaming God” (Job 1:22).  In fact when his wife asked him to curse God and die, Job replied to her, “Should we accept only good things from the hand of God and never anything bad?” (Job 2:10).

What is it that Job held on that his wife didn’t know that which caused him not to curse God even after the loss of his children and his wealth? Whereas we later learn that Job asked many hard questions as a result of his suffering, he never cursed God.  He never doubted God.  He believed in God.  His foundation in faith was God – He was blameless, a man of complete integrity, and he feared and stayed away from evil.  This was a constant for Job, whether he had children or not, whether he had wealth or not.  He was still a man of integrity. He still feared God.  Is it a wonder then that God himself had such faith in him to the extent of allowing Satan to test him?  Is it a wonder that God restored to Job all that He had lost in double portions?

Let us consider our foundations as believers – what have we anchored our faith in?  What truths do we embrace that cannot be faltered whether in good or bad times?  Truths that can cause us to be identified as men and women of integrity, men and women who fear God and stay away from evil. 

In this era of microwave “stuff”, there are many fake materials that can be used to lay foundations.  And still even when some are not fake, they are not robust, nor are they long lasting.  In Luke 6:46-49, Jesus taught about a solid foundation.  Essentially his main point was that if anyone calls him (Jesus), Lord of his/her life, then he/she ought to listen and obey his commands.  This way, his/her foundation as a believer is firm and can withstand any amount of pressure from whatever source – may it be relationships, finances, work related or any other kind of pressure. 

When a believer listens and obeys the Lord, their foundation is secure.  This listening and obedience is based purely on the word of God.  This is the core material, the core ingredient that forms our foundation as believers.  So, lets us intentionally and confidently search the word of God and align ourselves with the incorruptible truths and promises therein.  Let us embrace these as anchors that secure our lives at all times.  Let us lay a firm foundation for our faith in God. 

Great blessings,
Rose Kainda.