How to Build a Proper Spiritual Foundation

As we all are aware, a solid spiritual foundation is key for a smoother spiritual life. Sure, bad things will happen, but with a strong foundation, we are able to overcome such tragedies. In the hymn “We Have An Anchor”, we sing that we have an anchor in Jesus. Jesus is our Perfect Foundation. Take a look at John 1:1-5. We see that Jesus is described as the “Word”. In 2nd Timothy 3:16-17, we see that the Bible is equipped for anything. 2nd Peter 1:19-21 says that the Bible is from God. This makes it clear that the Bible is a viable foundation for us as Christians.

But where do we even begin to start building our foundation? We start with Jesus. We start with Jesus by being baptized. When we’re baptized, we’re washed in His blood, marking us as one of His. Now, one could easily just get dunked. To be properly baptized and put into the Church, you have to be genuine. You cannot just halfway try on your baptism. You have to put in all your heart into it. Conviction plays a huge role in this. You must truly believe that Jesus is the Christ. Otherwise, what’s the point? The next step would be to rely on Him for everything. Pray to Him constantly (1st Thessalonians 5:14-18). Study your Bible on a regular bases. Have Bible studies with people. In general, obey God. In 1st Corinthians 4:5-7, specifically verse 6, God tells us that we are to follow the Bible. So many other religions completely miss this verse. We as humans have failed God. Even some Christians have failed God, because we either didn’t have a strong spiritual foundation, or because we just slid right off of it.

The best example to follow is Jesus -- 110%. Jesus never wavered in His faith in God. Take the first part of Matthew 4, where Satan is tempting Jesus. Jesus never shifted in His faith. Jesus stood firm throughout His life. We should do the same. As Christians, it is so important that we have a firm faith. If we don’t, we die. To close, here are a couple of examples of people in the Bible who had a strong Spiritual foundation:

1. Paul

Paul had a very strong Spiritual foundation. In 1st Corinthians 9:27, Paul says he disciplines his Spiritual body. This is key for having a strong foundation.

2. Isaiah

He was a prophet for God. Not only dealing with Israel (a headache on it’s own), he had to deal with his wife cheating on him.

Being Content

In Hebrews 13:5, God makes it pretty clear that in whatever situation we find ourselves in, we need to be content. This may be very hard for a lot of people. Including me...especially me. Let me give you several scenarios to explain my point.

Put in jail

Let’s say we are put into jail for being Christians. That would be a huge adjustment. Keep in mind, though, the apostles went to prison, and they made it through. They grew Spiritually by singing hymns and praying. In Acts 16:16-40, we see just this. With the added benefit of the Philippian jailer and his household being baptized. For this situation, a strong faith in God is key. It’s highly important to help those weak in faith to grow Spiritually. That’s why studying your Bible is so important. You can’t grow without being fed.

We Become Homeless

Becoming homeless can be a huge shock for people. The best way to handle this is pray. You could even read your Bible as comfort. For example, try reading Matthew 8:20. And Matthew 6:25-33, where Jesus details why we shouldn’t be anxious.

Everyday

This may seem cliche, but we should be content in our daily life. In today’s world, with all these cool gadgets out (except for iPhones), it’s hard to be content. It will take some work, but you’ll see yourself growing. Keep in mind the book of Ecclesiastes, where the preacher details that really and truly, physical possesions do not matter. In fact, the preacher comes to the conclusion that God is the only real source of joy ( Ecclesiastes 12:9-14).

Do We Honor God?

When we think of "honor" in the Bible, we most likely think of Epheasions 6:1-4. But as we all know, God is our Father. So do we honor God? God is the one who created us. He deserves all the honor we can muster. So how can we honor Him?

Become a Christian
As we all I'm sure are aware, we need to be baptized to get to Heaven. What baptism does is it saves us from our sin (Acts 2:38). If we have sin in our lives, God will not accept us with sin. God and sin do not mix. Take a look at Mark 16:16. Or Colossians 2:12. Its pretty clear God wants us to be baptized.

Staying Faithful
Staying faithful is the challenging part of obeying the God. But its necessary to obey God. In Romans 1:18-32, specifically verse 21, God, through Paul, is talking about homosexuality. He mentions that they are vain, and do not honor God. This can be said for any sin. We do not honor God when we sin.

Hospitality

Hospitality involves more than just letting someone into your home. In 1st Peter 4:9, God tells us to be hospitable without grumbling. Something I find interesting is that He already told us to not grumble and complain in Philippians 2:14-16. Now, if you’re as introverted as I am, just start with someone you trust. For example, I am planning on inviting my best friend over whenever he’s down here. Honestly, he isn’t emotionally draining like most people are.

Spreading the Gospel

This is hard for a lot of people (including me). But God commands it. Take a look at Matthew 28:18-20. God commanded us to spread the Gospel. If we are to honor Him, we must be following His commands. He gave us life, it’s our job to follow Him.

The Toughness of Christians

As Christians, it’s necessary for us to be tough. It’s an unforgiving world (due to sin) out there. For example, if we have Bible studies with people, they will most likely reject us, as they don’t like what the Bible says.

Think about it – people like their sin. When we shine a light on them, we expose their sin for what it really is. Think of the story of “The Emporer’s New Clothes”. We are exposing their proverbial nakedness and they don’t like that. Take a look at Matthew 10:16-25, 34-39. Something I noticed is that God calls the Bible a sword (Epheasians 6:10-20). The Bible will push people away-- but that’s because those people would rather stay in their sin, the “false clothes”, if you will, than put on Christ.

As Christians, we need to push away sin. As God abhors sin, so should we. These daus, it can be hard to find things worth watching/listening to. In one of my other bulletin articles, I mention the rules I use to figure out what to watch/listen too. I recommend using that to figure that stuff out. One way we can build up our toughness is to spend time with other Christians. Take a look at Proverbs 27:17. We build each other up when we’re together. Like that Bible study thing that was recently started. That is perfect. That’s why gathering together each time we meet is important (Hebrews 10:24-25).

As Christians, it is very tough, and requires a lot of will-power. Being around other Christians helps. And of course, we have God. We can always go to Him in prayer. Take a look at 1st Thessalonians 5:16-18 and James 5:16. We may not have the world, but we have each other.