Build Down Before You Build Up
- sheisdeepwater
- Oct 21, 2022
- 3 min read
“And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.” Luke 6:48
Building is a process. It takes time and attention.
Any builder will confirm that the most important part of a house is not the Benjamin Moore paint on the walls, not the manicured, landscaped lawn in the front yard, and not the lavish designer furniture inside. The most crucial part of a house isn’t visible to the eye at all until every other part of that house begins to crumble and reveal a weakness in the component that should secure every other member of that building—the foundation.
Foundation is the part of the house that meets the dirt. Building a foundation is real, messy, consuming labor. But if shortcuts are taken during the laying of that foundation, every other board, nail, wall, door knob… is in vain. The same is true in the Christian life. If you do not spend time, and more time, and more time praying and building a relationship with God, then when you finally reach the point in time to be seen, you will crumble. If you do not first spend time in the word in the unseen places building your spiritual house, then when it is time to come forth into seen places, you will crack and weaken until you fall. Just because the time spent building up your foundation is not seen, that does not mean it is time wasted.
It cannot be understated: Above all else, a strong foundation takes time. If you decide that Instagram is a better use of your time or Netflix binge watching is a better use of your time than listening and learning in God’s house, then you have squandered valuable foundation-building. It is fitting that we use the term “spend your time” because, like money, once it is spent, time is gone. Then when you are a fully grown house on a partially grown foundation, you will wish you had spent your time building down into the ground. It is remarkable how many people want the job, want the ministry position, want the title, but they want to take the shortcut there. Don’t make that mistake. The long road provides foundation building. The long road gives time to experience and to—through trial and error—place more blocks in your foundation. Take the time to build down before you build up.
Matthew 7:24-27 says, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.” Listening and doing the Word of God builds you down so that God can build you up. Then when trials of every kind press, push, beat against you… when others to your right and to your left are being swept away… when it’s more than you believed you could take, your foundation secures you to that ground, and you stand.
Think about it.
Why is a foundation in God more important than a favorable appearance before people? Are there times when making a good impression on others could weaken our spiritual foundation?
Read about it.
What does the Bible say about God’s Word? How can it help you build down? Look at Hebrews 4:12, Psalms 119:105, John 17:17, and 2 Timothy 3: 16-17. Write your favorites down.
Pray about it.
God, help me to value the quiet, secret places with you above those I spend in front of people. Teach me your word; work it into my heart until it becomes my ways. Teach me to pray intimately with you, so I will know how to do it when the storm comes. Build a strong foundation in me, so I can stand. Help me not to rush your building process, which I know takes time. I give my building to you fully now to do your perfect work. In Jesus name. Amen.
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