Foundations Matter

My husband and I recently bought a new mattress.

We bought one of those memory foam mattresses, and while it was much easier to maneuver up the stairs, it was HEAVY. It came tightly rolled in plastic. So tightly rolled that I thought it would be too small for the frame, that they had sent us the wrong one. Once we got the package opened, we had to let it sit the whole day to ‘fluff up’.

The first night we slept on it was amazing. It was like angels had entered the room and cradled us all night. The next night I was looking forward to going to sleep! My husband went to bed before I did, and when I climbed in, I immediately noticed it did not feel the same as the night before. In fact, I felt like I was going to fall out of bed the entire night.

I wasn’t sure if it was because the foam hadn’t fully re-fluffed from the previous night, or if we were in for the rude awakening that money just doesn’t buy good things anymore. I mentioned the issue to a friend who also has the same mattress. She said hers was still great.

Hmmm…this was cause for investigation.

I do tend to sleep more toward the edge of the mattress, since I sometimes kick a leg out of the covers. (Women 40+ know what I’m saying.) But I wondered if we got a dud mattress that we were now going to have to figure out how to return.

Upon inspection, I discovered the mattress had simply shifted off the frame a few inches on my side of the bed. Not noticeable if you were just looking at the bed, because the blankets were covering it, but it was definitely felt if you tried to sit or lie down on my side. A simple push back onto the frame fixed the problem. Now I check every time I’m ready to get in bed to make sure it’s set right.

Spiritually, this made me think about how important our foundation is. There was nothing wrong with our bed frame. It hadn’t moved at all- it was strong and solid. The same is true for a real, biblical foundation. It is strong and established by God in His Word.

The problem comes in when we shift off that foundation in any direction. That causes a weakness that is no longer supported by the Scriptures, but rather by our own reasoning or feelings, or someone else’s. This results in us feeling unstable, but maybe unsure of what the problem is.

Perhaps you can’t see it just by looking at a church or a person, because they seem fine. But you’ll definitely feel it if you try to settle in and get more comfortable with them. Something will just seem “off” and make you uneasy.

Perhaps it’s a critical spirit that constantly condemns others, or tries to control people through intimidation. Maybe they use their beliefs to ridicule and exclude people rather than reach out in the love of Christ.

Or maybe it’s a spirit of ‘come as you are and feel free to stay that way’, and they never quote the Bible, but rather just talk about how God makes them feel, and how He should make you feel, which is healthy, wealthy and wise.

And still others would say that if you love God, you would help fund the private jet that God told them to buy “for the ministry”, ifyouplease.

If you aren’t allowed to ask questions about a teaching, if you aren’t allowed to challenge something that was said or done, if you aren’t welcome to sit down and chat about things you see that confuse or upset you, that’s a problem. All of these reveal a shift off God’s foundation, and an effort to promote and protect man. These blast a loud warning to run far away.

The only way to avoid falling into these traps is to have a strong personal foundation by knowing the Word of God for myself. I need to find out what God has to say about Himself, about how to live with and serve with others, how to approach someone with a sin issue, whether it’s mine or theirs; learn how He wants me to live and spend my money and raise my children and love my neighbors.

Any belief or behavior that is skewed from the foundation of God’s Word is going to be weak and wrong. It won’t stand up to inspection or challenge. It doesn’t matter who is saying it, or how long they’ve been saying it, even if they look good at first glance.

Get yourself a firm foundation in the Word of God by reading and studying it, and surrounding yourself with people who do the same. It’s dangerous to do otherwise, and just might land you on the floor with nothing underneath you.

I am so thankful for a church whose foundation is the Word of God! We are encouraged to read it and know it for ourselves. We are challenged to live it out. Questions and conversations are welcome, even uncomfortable ones. Unity and forgiveness and humility are encouraged and modeled. God is at the center, and what His Word has to say is what matters most. We’re not perfect by any means, but we are striving.

Moral of the story? Foundations matter.

Psalm 119:9-12
(9) Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. (10) With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. (11) Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. (12) Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.

Jeremiah 17:5-8
(5) Thus saith the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm, and whose heart departeth from the LORD. (6) For he shall be like the heath in the desert, and shall not see when good cometh; but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness, in a salt land and not inhabited. (7) Blessed is the man that trusteth in the LORD, and whose hope the LORD is [8] For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

Proverbs 30:5-6
(5) Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. (6) Add thou not unto his words, lest he reprove thee, and thou be found a liar.