The Cross’s Foundation
By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as a wise builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should build with care. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 3:10-11 (NIV)
Everything built needs a plan. Someone needs to know what to do and how to do it—even if it’s just reading the directions. Emily E. Ryan (Mornings with Jesus) tells a wonderful story about not only the cross’s essential foundation but her much needed daily time with Jesus.
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When the church approved the building of a 170-foot-tall cross, my father’s construction company was asked to oversee the project. I watched as church leaders ceremonially broke ground by thrusting clean shovels into hard earth, smiled for a camera, then moved aside so the real work could begin. For weeks, men in hard hats maneuvered heavy equipment to prepare the site and lay a foundation for the cross. They poured a slab and built a thick base of steel that would eventually secure and support the cross with a series of large anchor bolts. “All of this,” my dad said with a nonchalant wave of his hand, “will be underground. You’ll only be able to see the cross.
With the time and care that was going into the foundation, it seemed a shame that no one would ever be able to see it. It was a lot of work to go unnoticed and unappreciated. Later, however, when I stood at the base of the ninety-seven-ton completed cross, confident in its ability to withstand any storm, I was grateful for the strong foundation.
I thought about how my daily time with Jesus is the foundation for my faith. The minutes may go unnoticed to others, but the importance of that time is evident when others see Jesus in me.
Gracious God, thank You for all who have gone before us and left legacies about building faith. Please teach us to be wise builders so others will see You in us. AMEN.