The Purpose in the Process: Establishing a Foundation
Establishing a Foundation
Letting Go of the Idol of Stability
Once the clay is centered upon the potter’s wheel, the next step is to establish the foundation of the vessel. The foundation is created when the potter opens a hole at the top of the vessel and presses into the clay so that it resembles a small volcano. Then, the potter reaches into the “volcano,” presses the clay down, and spreads the base creating a larger opening. The potter presses down on the base as she spreads it out one rotation at a time making sure that the foundation is firm and compact. Through this action, the potter is mitigating any air bubbles that may arise in this process. Once again, if the foundation is not compact and firm, an air bubble can be formed and cause the foundation of the vessel to crack or burst inside the kiln during the firing process.
Establishing the foundation of the vessel highlights the importance of having a firm and secure foundation of faith. Without this grounding, it is easy to burst or crack under the pressure of the fires in life. In 1 Corinthians 3:10-15, Paul speaks about Jesus Christ as our firm foundation of faith. Paul is talking about the importance of good Theological Doctrine. In this present time, it is imperative to know what we believe and to have an answer for our faith for ourselves. Our faith should not be dependent on a Pastor or Christian leader. They are there to help us learn, but it is our responsibility to work out our faith foundation with reverent reference to God’s word. The fires or trials of life will come, regardless of whether we follow Jesus or not, but with Jesus Christ as our foundation, we will have the ability to withstand the difficulty and come out stronger and better.
In January of 2020, God began to deal with me about relinquishing the idol of stability. I did not realize that I craved stability until the Lord revealed it to me. If I’m honest, I became fearful. I knew that God was preparing me for a time of instability and uncertainty. This was a forewarning to help prepare me for the season I was about to enter. Through a process, I began to relinquish this idol in my life and lean on the Lord as my stable foundation. Though I had the knowledge that God was my true stable foundation, I searched for many years for stability in myself, other people, and the seemingly stable situations in which I was planted. In my attempt to make everything stable to give myself peace, I put my trust in unstable things that were subject to change. This was a self-defeating cycle.
A month after God starting revealing my idol of stability, I began to experience instability. My roommate decided to get her own place, and my other roommate was considering moving back home to another state. This ruined my whole plan leading up to graduation. I knew I couldn’t afford the whole two-bedroom apartment on my own. I had less than three months left in my Grad school program, and most rental agreements were six-month agreements. The search was on for a new roommate or a new place. My home life felt extremely unstable, and I had two choices: freak out or lean on God as my stable foundation. God was teaching me, yet again, to find my peace and stability in Him. I sat in my car one day and talked to God about the situation. I told God I was done with this cycle. I knew I could trust him, so I put action to my beliefs. I gave it to God. When fear would creep in, God would remind me of all the ways that God had worked in my life - even the details. Through this process, God provided me with my own studio apartment sublease from someone who needed to go back home for an emergency. God answered both of our prayers. He worked that situation out from ever angle for all of us in March of this year, which was when the pandemic hit. God has amazing timing. During this season God has continually reminded me that in a world of instability, God is stable. I can take peace in that, and you can, too.
I want to encourage you to re-evaluate your foundation. Let the potter ensure that your foundation is firm and broad enough to build upon. Jesus spoke of the importance of a firm foundation in Matthew 7:24-25, 24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” Hearing and abiding by the teachings of Jesus is building our foundation upon the rock, which is a firm foundation. In the verses after these, Jesus warns that hearing and not abiding by his teachings is like building a house on sand that will make the house collapse. Let’s make sure that we are strong and can endure the fires and storms that come our way.
Devotion
For today’s devotion, I would like to invite you to sit at your favorite quiet place and ask yourself the following questions as you meditate on these verses.
Where have I laid my foundation?
What do I cling to in times of uncertainty and instability?
Will the fire reveal that my foundation is secure on the Confession and Teaching of Jesus Christ?
1 Corinthians 3:10-15
10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building on it. Each builder must choose with care how to build on it. 11 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid; that foundation is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw— 13 the work of each builder will become visible, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each has done. 14 If what has been built on the foundation survives, the builder will receive a reward. 15 If the work is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; the builder will be saved, but only as through fire.
Prayer: God, would you help me to make my foundation of faith secure in you, not in my works or the ways of this world? People may fail me. My plans may not succeed. But would you be my anchor of hope that is firm and secure? I put my trust in you today. Help me to find my stability in you.