For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s field, God’s building. According to the grace of God given to me,
like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it.
Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
– 1 Corinthians 3:9-11 (ESV)

Most sports begin with building a strong base. In baseball it’s pitching; in football it’s blocking and tackling; and in weight training it’s using proper technique. Success in sports is all about building a solid foundation. Successful coaches know what it takes to achieve success. We must keep in mind however, that it’s possible to build the wrong kind of base or to have no base at all. Some baseball teams think they can win with good hitting alone, but as the season wears on, they find out their pitching isn’t good enough. A football team might put a flashy offense on the field but be unable to stop anyone on defense. A weightlifter who focuses too much on how much weight he is lifting, but neglects proper technique, is likely to get injured.

People, like sports teams, can also make the mistake of building their lives on the wrong foundation or worse, have no foundation at all. Then, when the trouble comes our way, our lives crumble around us. What we thought was a strong foundation build on money, relationships, or good deeds failed to hold up when the going got tough. The Apostle Paul taught the Christians of Corinth that the only true foundation was Jesus Christ. Suddenly, it seemed someone had presented the people with conflicting ideas. Paul is reminding the people of Corinth not to build their lives on anything other than Jesus. We too can be fooled by the “good things” and the thought that these things can bring us security. We must remember that only one foundation is needed for a building and we are God’s house. We must build our lives on Jesus because nothing else will last.

Thank You Father for being the Rock of my life. Teach me today that You are all I need. Amen.