You and I are not unfamiliar with the consequences of a weak, compromised, or downright poor foundation.

Living in a country where corruption has often hit the roof in magnitude has meant that many of the new buildings in our towns and cities do not pass the acid test for a well-laid foundation.

Mediocre work, compromised quality and quantities of materials, as well as inadequately-trained personnel contributes to this state of affairs.

It has therefore not been uncommon to see a building collapse, causing untold pain and suffering to those involved.

The bottom line of all this is a shaky foundation.

The foundation of something, or someone, is so vital for the welfare of that thing or someone.

Without a good solid foundation, we have already compromised the well-being of that thing or person.

This is no different from a spiritual foundation, after all, a keen look at the Scriptures reveals that God uses our natural reality to communicate spiritual truth. Matters of the foundation are no different.

In this blog post here, I talked about cracks in a spiritual foundation, sharing 4 reasons why someone’s spiritual foundation is weak.

I realized that it’s necessary to explore this topic further to identify some of the indicators that point to a problem in the spiritual foundation.

I am sharing 5 of these indicators that I have encountered in my interaction with young people among whom my husband and I work.

Let’s get right into these indicators.

Decision Making

When you and I make the decision to follow Jesus, we usually have turned away from the old life and way of doing things.

We become a new creation, as the Scriptures remind us. (2Cor. 5:17)

We no longer act or make decisions according to the standards of this world, how our parents or guardians taught us, or even how the school system influenced us.

Our decision-making is based on a new set of standards. These standards are found in God’s Word.

The Bible tells us not to conform to the standard of this world but to be made new, or transformed, by the renewing of our minds.

This means that our decision-making will no longer be influenced by what we think is right to do, what others think is right to do, what looks right to do, or what we ourselves want to do.

Our decision-making will be done based on what God leads us to do as he reveals in his Word, the Bible.

We recently had a heated discussion in a Bible study to which my husband and I belong.

It didn’t make sense to some of us how you can let yourself go through the rigors of going to court (or the cells) and not just give a 500-hundred-shilling bribe to a policeman when caught with a traffic offense.

A classic example among our young people looking for jobs is the willingness to walk with integrity and not bribe one’s way into a plum job.

I’ve shared seemingly major decisions. We however make decisions day by day. This needs to reflect a biblical worldview rather than a worldly one.

It is as I spend time with God in his Word and prayer as a custom that I will be transformed by the renewing of my mind through his Word.

My worldview will get transformed. I will find that I’m no longer living by the standard of this world but by the Biblical standard as I spend time with God daily as a way of life.

Times of Transition

Transitions in life are inevitable.

Some transitions are self-made while others happen because life will often afford us circumstances that unavoidably cause us to transit.

Others happen because we are in a season of life that predisposes us to a transition.

Some transitions are challenging to go through while others come with lots of excitement.

How we handle these transitions, depending on their nature, will reveal what our foundation is really like.

Of interest to us has been how a young man or woman manages the transition from singlehood to marriage.

We know of those who have made the decision to marry a person that doesn’t share their faith in Christ.

Desperation has often made most of these make this decision in spite of counsel from a friend or mentor not to do so.

This begs the question: Have they really understood the implications of their actions vis-à-vis what God has spoken in his Word?

A few years ago, we went through a difficult transition. This transition meant that we were expected to leave a workstation and compound we’d called home for over 10 years, at least for me.

We had to leave in a way we were not prepared for, not knowing where we were going, or how we would feed our young family.

Once the initial shock was gone, God enabled us to pray and seek him in his Word, determining to be led by him even when we wanted justice done speedily.

God clearly led that it was for him to avenge, not us.

I’m not giving this example to say we were the ones on the right. My point is, when we are faced with a transition in life, we must determine to go back to God. we must trust him to show us how to steer through a transition.

A transition can make or break us. It can mean growth or retrogression, especially in our faith.

We must trust God to help us navigate the unchartered waters of a transition.

A firm spiritual foundation will help us navigate transitions fruitfully, especially because we know him and we are convinced that he will help us.

We can trust him with the outcome of a transition, especially go through it in faith and with integrity.

A firm spiritual foundation helps us not to falter or fall because of an especially hard transition.

Times of Testing and Challenging Life Situations

Having discoursed over the kingdom way of living in Matthew 5 to 7, Jesus concludes this passage with these Words:

“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. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matthew 7:24-27)

These words not only reveal what the foundation of our lives ought to be as believers, but it also discloses how one who has the right kind of foundation will fare in challenging times.

The two houses in the verses above faced similar conditions. One stood. The other one fell. What was the difference? The foundation.

We live in a fallen world.

It would therefore be unrealistic to imagine we will go through life without trouble.

Jesus Christ himself told his disciples that in this world they would face trouble but they were to cheer up for Christ has overcome the world.

When you and I are faced with challenging life situations, when our foundation is strong, like the house built on rock, we will withstand the storms of life. when our foundation is weak, then the reverse becomes our reality.

This theme of trouble and suffering is repeated all over the Scriptures. A strong foundation will help us not to falter in times of trouble and testing.

When I find myself faltering, even to the extent of leaving the faith, then I can tell my foundation in God was weak or compromised.

You and I have gone through some really tough times. If not, we know of someone who’s going through a difficult season in their lives.

Oftentimes, these situations, such as the death of a loved one, loss of a job, or sickness, can really shake us to the core.

Knowing God and his character often helps us through such times.

A firm foundation is an essential ingredient to knowing God deeply and personally, and in a way that we can trust that he is working all things for our good in spite of the often-unpleasant experiences we go through.

I pray that you and I will ensure that we have a firm foundation in Christ so that during times of testing and trouble, we will stand.

One’s Stand on Social, cultural or Even Political Issues

A person’s stand on social, cultural, and, or, political issues can reveal that there is a problem in the spiritual foundation.

There are those, for instance, who value their culture above the scriptures.

We’ve encountered young people who have been inclined to marry from their tribe rather than trust God to lead them concerning whom to marry.

The issue of abortion and whether to procure one or not has been a hot topic of discussion often revealing the state of the spiritual foundation of one who claims to be a follower of the Lord Jesus.

It’s interesting to note that a foundation is not usually seen.

Our words and actions are what reveal the state of that foundation.

Thankfully, because it’s a spiritual foundation, God is able to help us go back to our foundation so we can ensure it has been founded right.

If my foundation is weak, compromised, or full of cracks, I can trust God to go back to the basics and lay the right foundation, or deal with the issue leading to a crack or weakness in my spiritual foundation.

Political, social, and cultural standpoints are good indicators of the state of one’s spiritual foundation.

Loving the World

The world and the things therein can prove to be such a snare for one who wants to walk with God.

The Scriptures warn us not to love the world or anything in it. (1 John 2:15)

John further reminds us that the world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever. (1 John 2:17)

Without a solid foundation and the right biblical worldview on eternity, and in a world that seems to have a lot to offer anyone who wants to live the good life, it is possible that one’s heart can get swayed.

You might know of believers who started off well. They then got into the world of making money and growing rich.

Their hearts slowly grew cold towards the Lord. They eventually drifted away and are no longer in the faith.

Like the rich young ruler Jesus talked to in Mark 10:17-22, they chose the things of this world over Christ and the life he offered them.

It’s possible that I have encountered the Lord Jesus and I even have the right foundation.

If I am not careful though, the snare of the good life can slowly creep in, causing a small crack to develop in my foundation.

This crack keeps growing, eventually becoming a big crack that can bring my entire spiritual house, as it were, down. How do I know this?

The Bible warns us that if we think we are standing, we are to be careful lest we fall.

We are to keep working out our salvation with fear and trembling. Thankfully, God is at work in us as we do so, to will and to do according to his good purpose.

I have to actively and deliberately watch my life and doctrine closely. I have to keep trusting God to keep me from getting ensnared by the world and its allures.

If I don’t do so, I will definitely get ensnared. After all, doesn’t the flesh want the good of this world?

Keep in mind that I don’t mean that we can’t enjoy the good things of this life as children of God.

Allowing our hearts to be ensnared, so that we are carried away into thinking the end goal of our lives is to amass them, forgetting we’re living for a higher goal, is the problem.

May you and I trust God that we will guard our hearts above all things, seeking to honor him with all we are and have, and living for him and his purposes.

That is where true satisfaction and fulfillment come from. In living to please him will we find true riches in him that will not perish.

These 5 indicators that we’ve discussed are a good truth meter, helping you and me to examine our lives, whether we are in the faith as the scriptures tell us so that we can ensure we are faithful to him to the very end.

5 Ways to Know that Your Spiritual Foundation is Weak or Compromised

Decision Making

Times of Transition

Times of Testing and Challenging Life Situations

One’s Stand on Social, cultural or Even Political Issues

Loving the World

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