Building a Strong Foundation

Strong foundations are rooted all around us, and take on various forms throughout our lives. Whether it is when building meaningful relationships, constructing our homes, learning a new subject, or simply applying make-up, a strong foundation allows for the product to stand the test of time no matter what the outside forces may bring. The most important foundation in our lives is our relationship with God, because it is the ground on which everything we produce stands on. One of the many reasons for having a strong foundation is ensuring that God influences our decisions and not the outside world.

In this day and age, so many of our foundations are built on the perspectives we have collected from other humans. We are constantly taking in material that motivates our behaviors and decisions. For many of us, this stems from our friends, families, social media, and culture telling us how to interpret certain situations. The truth is that many of us go to each other for advice before going to God, forgetting that He is the one who knows how the situation will unfold. I am not suggesting that we stop going to wise friends and family members for advice, only that we seek God first and build our foundations on Him.

In relationships, solid foundations are built on trust. We go to our friends and families because we trust them, and we believe they will not steer us wrong. The problem with acting solely on their advice is that they are human beings just like us . . . flawed and shaped by their own experiences. No matter how genuine their intentions, there is a huge risk that we could go down a path that was never meant for us . . . because we never consulted the one who made the plan.

God is the same today, tomorrow, and forever. He alone has written the plan for our lives, and knows the way we should go. Speaking from experience, I believe the reason we do not always go to God first is because we do not fully trust Him. Many of us cannot trust Him, because if we are honest; we do not truly know who He is. This may be hard for you to digest, because I know it was for me. I honestly believed that I had a solid relationship with Him. I blessed my food before I ate, prayed before I went to sleep, and went to Him in times of trouble. What more was there? There was so much more.

I learned that we get to know Him by spending real time with Him. This may sound horrible, but I initially thought it would be the most boring thing ever. However, to my surprise I truly began to enjoy the time I spent building our relationship, and in essence my trust in Him. The more time we spent together, the more I learned to let go. The more I learned to truly understand the meaning of “Your will, not mine.” I began to have an inner joy and glow that was quite honestly contagious. I found myself wanting everyone around me to experience what I was experiencing. It took time, but before I knew it I was standing on a solid foundation.

I primarily began building my foundation by spending time with God in the mornings before starting my day. My morning time with God has strengthened the foundation of our relationship in more ways than I can count. I am continually growing and I like the person I am becoming as a result. I encourage everyone to incorporate this time into their daily lives, and see how their love and trust in Him grows. See how your friends and family will be blessed, see how you will feel yourself growing and flourishing, and see how you will fall in love with Him more each day. (I have included my morning devotion routine below!!)

As I stated in an earlier post, the purpose of this blog is to inspire those who feel paralyzed by fear, uncertainty, or are hesitant to step into their purpose. However, this can only be achieved if the foundation is solid. In order for us to reach our predestined purpose and be effective, we must first have a strong, unshakable foundation rooted in God. As Christians, God should be the leading force in everything we pursue. We have to be able to sense His presence and hear His voice.

Some may ask, how they can hear God’s voice. This leads me to next week’s post, which will discuss hearing God’s voice. I hope you all have a safe and blessed week! See you next Sunday!

Morning Devotion Routine:

(You may have to wake up thirty minutes earlier to fit this in, or implement it during the evenings if that works better for your schedule.)

1. Sit quietly for one minute to clear your mind and connect with God.

2. Play 1-2 worship songs (while these are playing, I usually sing along as I brew my coffee and get back situated.)

3. Read the devotional for that day (I usually use a daily devotional book or the Bible App).

4. Journal for about 5-10 minutes.

5. Wrap it up with a prayer (make sure to cover the world, government, family, friends, then yourself)

6. Start the day!