Rethinking Foundations

July 5, 2012, by Jack E. Albright of New Beginnings

  I stood in awe beside one of the mammoth foundations beneath the new bridge in Atchison, Kansas. My brain could hardly take in the thousands of steel parts that were molded, pressed, stretched and bolted into hundreds of flat slabs, cables, bolts, nuts, and braces of various sizes, shapes and strength. All of these are coming together into one single unit that we will call, “A Bridge.”

 Beneath the millions of tons of steel stand several reinforced concrete foundations that are designed to add beauty as well as strength to bear up under the weight and vibration from the millions of cars and trucks expected to rumble across it during its predicted lifetime.

  Considering these facts stimulate several Biblical teachings about the importance of good foundations upon which to build a strong life. The classic parable about the wise man building his house on a sold rock speaks in profound simplicity. (Matt.7: 24) The parable is simple: “The house built on a solid foundation will stand up under all the storms that life presents. Building on the sand guarantees failure.”

  A quality foundation demands that something of greater value should be built on it. A foundation cannot fulfill its purpose until something more valuable is built upon it. Building nothing or building shabbily becomes mockery.

  When I went to Amarillo, Texas as a boy, we always drove down a special street to see the foundation of a building that never had anything built on it. We tried to imagine what the building was supposed to become. It could have been a hotel, or a bank, or a church. Instead it became a mockery that even children would giggle about. We learned that we should not start building something that we could not afford to finish.

   The parable of the prodigal son, (Luke 15) illustrates that it is possible for a person to have a good foundation to build their life upon, and then waste years of their life by trying to build a palace from cardboard, paper clips and masking tape. We give him credit that he, “Came to his senses,” and returned to accept his father’s principles.

  If your foundation is sound and you have built a stable and successful life, you have reason to be thankful. If your foundation or building is not pleasing, you may decide to make improvements.