What is our Foundation? Devotional Thoughts from 2003

I read 1 Corinthians 3:11 this morning and I was reminded of a devotional I gave about 10 years ago.  I was chaplain of a club in college at that time and had shared some thoughts about this verse.  I rummaged through my old journals and was able to find the entry from this devotional.  It was an encouragement for me to read it this morning, so I thought perhaps it might be an encouragement for you as well.  :)  (I have slightly adapted it to make it more applicable.)

WHAT IS OUR FOUNDATION

"What is something that we strive for? What is our sole pursuit? What do we desire above all else?

When I think of this, I am reminded of a verse I ran across last semester--1 Corinthians 3:11.  'For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ.' My prayer is that this would be our theme.  When I was asked what my vision was for this club, I said 'love and unity,' but above all else I desire that we get back to our foundation, that we renew our passionate pursuit of Christ.  For you see, unity, friendship, and loving one another are all noteworthy causes, but they are not a foundation.  Fellowship, Bible studies, serving others, and all the things we stand for are good fruit, but they are not a foundation.  Christ is our foundation and our pursuit is to glorify Him.

For if we fail at this, we fail completely.  If we fail to glorify God, we fail at serving others.  If we fail to glorify God, we fail at unity.  If we fail to glorify God, we fail at fellowship.  If we fail to glorify God, we fail at loving one another.  'For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ.'

I am reminded of a person in the Bible who truly understood this--the lady with the alabaster jar.  She was so focused on Christ that she was willing to be shamed, willing to sacrifice all, willing to risk everything to break her alabaster jar at the Savior's feet.  The disciples, when they saw her act of worship, thought it was a waste--even though they loved Jesus.  Matthew 26:8-9 says that they were 'indignant' because the perfume could have been sold and the money given to the poor.  But Jesus commended the woman because she had realized what was most important.

See, the disciples had a good cause.  You could even say that they desired to do an act of service to Jesus by offering money to the poor, but they came about it in the wrong way--their focus wasn't in the right place.  Although the woman with the alabaster jar may have seemed wasteful in the eyes of others, she was commended in the sight of her Lord, for she sacrificed all she had to glorify Him.  She put everything aside for her passionate pursuit.  She knew WHO her foundation was and did all she could to honor him.

Can the same be said of us?  Are we more like the disciples--pursuing good 'causes' but forgetting our focus?  Or are we more like the woman--remembering the most important thing, our Foundation, and giving all we have to glorify Him?  For no other foundation can we lay, than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ. "