I wrote and published a New Years themed message earlier in the month that never felt as though it was finishable; following the Lord's continual tug on my heart to remove "What's Weighing You Down?" from Molly's Zone, He placed such a special thothought on my heart that I knew couldn't be left unwritten.
The simple thought of buildings and the process of creating them exists as the foundational aspect of today's message....the mentioning of the word foundation especially carries significance because the structure will not stand without a solid foundation and you can't even begin to build it without following a blueprint.
Have you ever attempted to put something together without following instructions only to be met with confusion, frustration, and eventual disaster?
I began thinking about the DIY attitude that we all carry more than we'd care to admit (my own guilty heart is included on SO many levels)
It's too easy to find ourselves wanting God to follow along with all of our plans, instead of humbly choosing to follow His.
The message He gave me to write and share today is such an important reminder for every day; everyone needs it, including me, and I hope the thought speaks to your own heart as much as it did to mine.
Why am I telling you this?
Because there's SO much tragedy that can result from not following His plan for our lives. Jesus gave His life for ALL and He continually seeks to save those who are lost and on their way to Hell. (If you do not know Him as Savior, please do not shrug off the seriousness of dealing with eternity. Hell is a VERY real place.)
What would a building look like if no blueprint was followed? What would your life look like if you didn't follow Jesus?
The building of your life would forever possess an unsteady foundation that would never be able to withstand those circumstances 'that you never saw coming'; it's easy to be happy with those self made plans when it seems as though every detail about life is falling into place, but what happens when it all starts to fall apart in your hands?
A foundation of faith is ALWAYS important to have, but especially carries significance in times of trouble. Faith is what keeps you moving when you're unable to walk. Faith is what holds you steady when you are left without enough strength to stand. Faith is what helps you to hold onto joy through those moments where happiness is nowhere to be found.
“And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.” (Matthew 17:20)
A life lived without Jesus will forever lack a clear sense of direction or purpose; the youth of today comes into my thoughts as I'm writing this out. We live in a Tik Tok influencer obsessed society. Lost souls are aimlessly and relentlessly searching for the sort of peaceful satisfaction that the world will never be able to give them.
"For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" (Mark 8:36)
"And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Matthew 10:38-39)
Living without a foundation of faith & having no sense of direction or purpose will slowly but surely pave the way for the eventual destruction of whatever you've built. As we're continuing into the month of January (we are officially half-way through) think about what you want to build on in the coming weeks and months ahead. I heard this thought on a favorite podcast recently and it truly resonated with me:
Every day the Lord has given to us should be given back to Him. Let us not allow those days to be wasted.❤️
"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:" (Matthew 7:24)