How firm is your foundation?
In October 2006 President Thomas S. Monson recounted the following story:
“In 1959, not long after I began my service as president of the Canadian Mission, headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, I met N. Eldon Tanner, a prominent Canadian who just months later would be called as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, then to the Quorum of the Twelve, and then as a counselor to four Presidents of the Church.
At the time I met him, President Tanner was president of the vast Trans-Canada Pipelines, Ltd., and president of the Canada Calgary Stake. He was known as “Mr. Integrity” in Canada. During that first meeting, we discussed, among other subjects, the cold Canadian winters, where storms rage, temperatures can linger well below freezing for weeks at a time, and where icy winds lower those temperatures even further. I asked President Tanner why the roads and highways in western Canada basically remained intact during such winters, showing little or no signs of cracking or breaking, while the road surfaces in many areas where winters are less cold and less severe developed cracks and breaks and potholes.
Said he, “The answer is in the depth of the base of the paving materials. In order for them to remain strong and unbroken, it is necessary to go very deep with the foundation layers. When the foundations are not deep enough, the surfaces cannot withstand the extremes of weather.”
What makes a firm foundation?
In Matthew 7 the parable of building construction was given. (Typically called the parable of the wise man and foolish man). A wise builds his house on a rock. A foolish man builds his house on the sand. Rains come, heavy rains, flooding rains. The wise man’s house stands firm. The foolish man’s house is washed away.
Why is rock preferable to sand? The answer seems obvious, sand is not solid like a rock is. What makes rock solid is the depth that it has. But when a piece of rock is removed from the surrounding rock through external forces beating on it, strength is lost and over time it becomes sand. In our lives, our figurative foundations can be shaken, they can be broken up by the trials we face and broken down by the people around us. There is only one Rock on which to build that will not crumble and fall. The Rock of Jesus Christ.
How do we make Christ the foundation of our lives?
- Have Faith in His words. Believe Him. Trust Him. Easier said than done sometimes, isn’t it? When we feel like we’re drowning or in the fiery furnace of affliction and nothing seems to be going how we want it to. How then do we keep our faith alive then? I have a friend who has been an example of keeping faith strong in the midst of trial. Earlier this year she was diagnosed with cancer, a massive tumor the size of a fist in her colon. Through radiation, surgery, and chemo she has had faith in Christ’s promise found in Mosiah 29:13-14:
In the updates she gives, we can see that promise working in her life. Her battle hasn’t been easy, or without moments of heartache, but she has found comfort in the arms of her Savior as she has relied on Him and trusted in His words.
2. Know His word. You cannot have faith a Savior or His words if you do not know them. We come to know Christ and how He helps is children through the scriptures. The scriptures obtain God’s promises to His people. Prophets, since the beginning of the world, have recorded examples of the Lord fulfilling His promises to those that rely on Him. As we write the words of God found on our hearts and internalize the examples of others, we see Him working in our lives more often. When we see Him working in our lives more, we anchor our testimony to Him.
3. Follow His counsel. Whether received through the words of the prophet, the words of scripture or through the quiet whisperings of the Spirit, as we follow the Lord’s counsel, He blesses us with a greater ability to withstand trials and temptations.
4. Follow His example. Much of the live of Jesus Christ was spent in the service of others. He exemplified the message thought by King Benjamin in Mosiah 2:17 – “when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God”. President Thomas S. Monson has said: “Along your pathway of life you will observe that you are not the only traveler. There are others who need your help. There are feet to steady, hands to grasp, minds to encourage, hearts to inspire, and souls to save.” As we engage in the work of the Almighty – helping to “bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of men,” He strengthens our foundation.
5. Remember He is with you – no matter what. One of my favorite hymns is “How Firm a Foundation” attributed to Robert Keen. The reason: it’s like a letter from Jesus Christ. Just read these lyrics and feel how comforting they are:
Can you just feel the power of that promise?! If we lean on Christ as our foundation, He will not – He cannot – forsake us to our foes! That gives me so much hope. Let’s all work together to strengthen each other’s foundations in Christ so that we may all grow together.