Often times when we think of building our own foundation, we think of building that foundation on Christ. In 1 Corinthians 3:10-13 the Apostle Paul wrote, "According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest; for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is." So, Christ needs to be our foundation and if there is any other foundation it shall be tried and be found lacking.
Refer also then to the parable Christ gave in Matthew 7:24-27. Christ says whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 
And everyone that heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
So, then ask yourself... what is your foundation? What is your foundation built upon? How do you know the answers to these questions? Well, let's think about it. If a foundation is what all other things are built upon, and the base on which something is grounded, and the lowest support of a structure... then what is your life and actions and thoughts built upon and what are you supported by at the base level. Your foundation is what takes precedence in your life. Here are some possibilities as to what it could be. Your foundation could be your social status, it could be a particular hobby, a profession, your knowledge, acquiring possessions(just to have them, or to wear them, or to play with them), your physical appearance, your spouse, your kids, maintaining your lifestyle, your dreams or aspirations, or any one of a very large number of things. Now, those things are not bad or wrong in themselves to have, and to like, even to love, but when your world revolves around anything other than Christ, it is then that your house is on sand and destruction is eminent and unavoidable. So identify what your world revolves around.
Here are some questions to help you pin-point your current foundation:
What or whom do you do most things for?
How do you 're-gain your sanity' after a hard day?
When you are sad, what or to whom do you turn to for comfort?
When you are happy, what do you do? Who do you talk to first?
When you are feeling self-pity, nervous, confused, rejected, in need, bored... what do you do to feel better? Is there a person you typically turn to that makes you feel better?
When you feel fulfilled, loved, hopeful, optimistic, pleased, what do you do to express that, is there someone you typically talk to?
If when you answer those questions you find that you do the same thing or talk to the same person, that is a very good indicator that the person or action you turn to is your foundation.
So, what if you have just discovered that Christ is Not your foundation and you have already built an entire wall or building on top of what is? You may feel that your life is already set in motion and it has been going this way just fine for some time. If though, you want Christ to be your foundation, and He is not now, you need to tear down the wall and re-lay the foundation. But, what happens if all those bricks in the wall come crashing down? What if everything you know falls apart? To upset all of it and to rebuild it from the foundation up is a scary and daunting task, at best. How do you really, in real life, make Him the foundation when the wall is already built?
Well, as much as I'd like to say that it can be done without much effort or much discomfort, I cannot. First, you must commit to it, because it is a difficult thing to accomplish and yes, it needs to be done thoroughly, and it is scary. Once you have decided that you are going to do it, you must then be willing and prepared to give up the things that are holding you back. If your foundation is acquiring possessions, you will need to give up your useless possessions and take careful efforts not to purchase anything without need. If your world revolves around your social life, you don't need to be a recluse necessarily, but only attend social events you really have interest in, not just because it's where everyone is going to be. If your foundation is your appearance, change it. Be humble in appearance so that you may be appreciated not for that, but for you as a person. If your foundation is your perceived limitless knowledge, you need to humble yourself so you may realize that your knowledge is nothing next to God's, and rely on His knowledge above your own. If your foundation is a person that you always turn to, you will need to replace that person with God. Replace your old foundation with new. Give up what your foundation consists of so that it can then take a natural place in your life. Teach yourself to make God the center of everything. As you seek to know what to do specifically in your life, you will be told to take things out of your life that are very uncomfortable to remove. Things that you consider now to be your 'identity'. Removing the fake identity and replacing it with your true identity as a child of God will yield to you the great joy and satisfaction in life you are meant to partake of. Obey in All things, in All promptings and you will find that as you do, you will come to recognize your true self. That is an empowering experience that can then give you the strength to continue further until you have reached your goal to have Christ as your foundation. It is when you can obey completely that you will see your life change to what it is at its best.
Does that mean that if your foundation is currently your kids or your spouse you should neglect them? Of course not. If it is a particular hobby should you forsake it and never do it again? Of course not. If it is pursuing your dreams and aspirations should you discontinue your pursuit and stay where you are, not working to become something better? Of course not. If it is your physical appearance should you stop maintaining good hygiene and start wearing bags for clothes? Of course not. If it is your profession should you discontinue it and do something more humble? Of course not. What it does mean, is this: take that thing or that person consciously out of the center of your world... and put God in. If you cannot do that without getting rid of something, then do it. If it helps you to throw away pictures and trophies in ridding yourself of your foundation of vanity, do it. If it helps you to throw away music that keeps you in a mindset that is not congruent with Christ as your foundation, then do it. If you rely on person when you should be relying on God, stop turning to them. When Christ is your foundation those things that consumed you, that were your foundation, that were placed above Christ in your life, will fall back into your life in their rightful place. Things will serve a different purpose. You may always check the things in your life to make sure they are in their rightful place by asking yourself 'What purpose does this serve?' and, 'Do I turn to this action, this thing, or this person when I could be turning to God instead?'
How then do you know when Christ is your foundation? Those who have Christ as their foundation need no lengthy instruction regarding modest dressing, paying generous fast offering, daily study of the scripture, or constant communication with our Father in Heaven. When Christ is our foundation those things come very naturally and are looked forward to, not regarded as a chore, an obligation, or an irritant. When Christ is your foundation, you will act in accordance with His teachings, you will treat people the way He did, and you will keep His commandments because you love Him, you trust Him, and you want to be His disciple.
Moses 7:53 reads: "And the Lord said... I am Messiah, the King of Zion, the Rock of Heaven" Build your life on That Rock.
Thanks for sharing Chelyse! I really hope my foundation is Christ.... it's probably myself though... or other people. :-/
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