A nearly finished 13-story apartment building in Shanghai toppled over like a lone domino pushed by an invisible hand. An engineer on site said, “When we arrived on the scene, we were very shook up. In my 46 years of work, I’ve never seen or heard of such a thing.” When they investigated, the engineers discovered that excavators had undermined the building when they dug out dirt for an underground parking garage. Even the sturdiest of buildings needs a foundation in order to stand. So it is with us. We may build an impressive ministry for God, but we never grow so tall that we can afford to neglect our foundation. Indeed, the tallest buildings require the deepest foundations. With that said, our foundations are:

Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 3:11)—It’s good to serve in church, care for the poor, and follow current doctrinal discussions. But religious duties, social work, and theological knowledge are no substitute for knowing and loving Jesus.

The Word of God (Ephesians 2:20)—It’s good to read Christian books, attend Christian concerts, and download sermons from our favorite preachers, but none of these should replace our diligent study of God’s Word.

Obedience—Jesus said that a wise man builds his house upon a rock when he “listens to My teaching and follows it” (Matthew 7:24). It’s good to know the Word of God, but if we ignore His will and do what we want, we’re foolishly building our lives on sand. The higher we grow, the deeper we must go. The wider we branch out, trying new ministries and attempting great things for God, the more important our foundation becomes. Don’t coast on your reputation or past success. Your life will crash if you ever stop loving Jesus and obeying His Word.