Have you ever tried to learn something new, and as your tutor tries to help you, it’s like they skip the basics and go right for the more advanced stuff? It is easy to understand why one would struggle if they aren’t able to establish the basic foundation of what they are trying to grasp. At times, I can see the same thing happening with new believers. If you are new in the faith, I encourage you to concentrate on building the foundation first, and that foundation is learning and putting into practice the words and directives that Jesus taught in the Bible. In Matthew chapter 7, verses 24 and 25 Jesus says:
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.”
As you grow in the faith, you may not learn everything you need to know in one church service or one Bible reading session. This isn’t something that is rushed or instant. Just continually stay in God’s word and let the Holy Spirit water the seeds of spiritual growth as they are planted. Try not to compare yourself to someone who is more mature than you, and don’t look down on those who are less. Just focus on building your house on the rock; which is putting to practice the words of the Bible as you learn them. The sign of a strong foundation doesn’t always reveal itself when things are going great, but when problems and life struggles arise and rain and winds blow against your faith. If you’ve been putting to practice what you learn as you learn it, your foundation will become stronger and stronger. No need to try and jump ahead into areas that are well beyond your understanding, just stick to building your house upon a rock, and the Holy Spirit will make you more and more mature as you do.
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You might have heard people say that life is short. I know that I’ve said that myself. But I submit to you, that in some respects, life can be long – especially if you make the wrong decisions. That is why it is so important to build a strong foundation in Christ at the beginning of your walk. If you do, you’ll be able to weather the storms of life because you’ll have the basics down so well that the lies of the devil won’t sway your faith. Jesus says that building your house on a rock is a wise decision. And if you work on strengthening that foundation early in your walk with him, poor decisions won’t cripple you in your journey through life.