What Keeps You on the Level?

What keeps you on the level?

Few Christian leaders enjoy the level of admiration that is given to Billy Graham, the evangelist who will be 95 years of age this November. Honestly, Graham is not the best preacher in the world. But, he’s been faithful to his call and honored the Lord. And God entrusted him with world-wide fame and the opportunities to preach the Gospel to more people than any other person in history! I always admire the person who lives with integrity, doing the right things over the long haul, through the up’s and down’s that come to us all.  Couples that still love each other after 50 years of marriage are worthy of celebration. People who stay with their church for a lifetime, giving, serving, loving through changes they like and those they hate, are some of my heroes. The ‘faithfuls,’ as I call them, share something in common: deep character, a quality of spirit, at the core of their being.

·         The keel of a ship is the main structural member and backbone. It runs along the center of the bottom of the hull from stem to stern. A ship’s stability in the water depends on the right design and construction of its keel. Never seen, it critically important. 

·         A house rests on foundation. The builder digs down deep, puts in a footer, builds a solid foundation before creating anything of the structure that we see.  Buried in the dirt, the foundation determines if a house remains intact over the years.

·         A wheel needs a hub from which the spokes radiate. A weak hub will cause failure of the wheel.

Have you built a solid core in your life, like a ship’s keel, a house’s foundation, the hub of a wheel? Are your hopes, dreams, and plans resting on that which will not give way under stress and pressure? It’s a question of unequaled importance. Your eternal destiny depends on your foundation as well as your present joy!  The Bible says, “You are God’s building. Because of God’s grace to me, I have laid the foundation like an expert builder. Now others are building on it. But whoever is building on this foundation must be very careful. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one we already have—Jesus Christ. Anyone who builds on that foundation may use a variety of materials—gold, silver, jewels, wood, hay, or straw. But on the judgment day, fire will reveal what kind of work each builder has done. The fire will show if a person’s work has any value. If the work survives, that builder will receive a reward. But if the work is burned up, the builder will suffer great loss. The builder will be saved, but like someone barely escaping through a wall of flames.” (1 Corinthains 3:9-15, NLT)

Jesus Christ must be our foundation. What does that mean?

First, we trust completely in His grace to reconcile us to God. We do not hope to enjoy God’s favor because we do ‘good things,’ or because we are born into the ‘right family.’ We confess that we were desperately ensnared by sin, and we accept the gift offered by Christ’s death and resurrection. He must be the foundation of our relationship with the Heavenly Father. If we rest ‘on Christ the solid Rock’ we know that ‘all else is sinking sand.’  We have laid a stone in an immoveable foundation.

Second, we draw our ultimate value as a person from His approval. There are so many other ways that we look for value. A person who wins the DNA lottery and is born with a pretty face may cling to her beauty, enjoying the affirmation that comes her way through the years, but aging is inevitable. Does her life lose value when beauty fades?  Success is the American way to determine worth. We admire the rich and famous, even if we won’t admit it. Those who control fortunes, who run the show, or who gain big followings are the envy of most. But, when fame or wealth evaporates, and it often does, what then? Is a person of less intrinsic worth because his bank account is empty or his name unknown?  When we desire the will of God, more than beauty, fame, or wealth, we have laid yet another stone in that foundation.

Third, we set our sight on Heaven. The justice we desire, the harvest we long for from our efforts, the realization of God’s promise in fullness is not likely to emerge while we are waiting for Christ’s Kingdom. The Curse frustrates the work of the righteous. But, we must remain hopeful. James was inspired to write to a Church undergoing persecution. "Friends, wait patiently for the Master’s Arrival. You see farmers do this all the time, waiting for their valuable crops to mature, patiently letting the rain do its slow but sure work. Be patient like that. Stay steady and strong. The Master could arrive at any time. …The Judge is standing just around the corner." (James 5:7-9, The Message)  Yes, those who see over the horizon of time into Eternity by faith, are setting yet another stone in a foundation that will not shift.

Few things are more sad than the person who runs a race only to drop out on the last lap. Let’s not fail because our foundation is flawed. Here’s the word from the Word. It comes from Jesus. May we have ears to hear. "I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”  (Luke 6:47 NIV)

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