Is Your Foundation Faulty? (Part 2)

These are many of the reasons why many of us believers may suffer and struggle to make progress in life. I do not agree with this idea that when a Christian suffers it is assumed they are suffering for the Lord’s sake. People become complacent and say "well you know the bible say we will suffer. Yes, but not all suffering is the same.

Yes, we will suffer for the Lord and should count that as joy when we do. That means we are united with Christ and will share in his glory and resurrection as it says in Romans 8:17. 

But there is a difference between suffering for the Lord’s sake and suffering for suffering’s sake.  Sometimes we suffer because of our sins, generational curses from sin. Or because of a lack of self-discipline. The disciples suffered for the Lord’s sake and still had joy in spreading the gospel.  However, many Christians just look miserable. I do not think that is a good witness to others about the power of the God that we serve. 

Also, suffering for the Lord brings growth and builds character. If that is not happening, I would ask if it were for the Lord’s sake. Now God is so gracious that he can work out everything for our good. Suffering because of sin or a lack of self-discipline can show up in how we eat, take care of our bodies, and finances. To name a few.

There are some sicknesses people have where they are not suffering for the Lord. You’re suffering because you refuse to stop eating that fried chicken, process sugar and processed food. That’s why you are suffering. It ain’t got nothing to do with the Lord.  People think what’s the point of eating healthy, healthy people get sick too. but this is not true.  Because many think they eat healthy many times really do not.

Or we may lack discipline with our finances. We spend money like we are in congress and overindulge in materialism. Then we have the nerve to think poverty is God’s will for you. What?? Or maybe you just need some discipline.  Let’s be real. Most people’s money problems are due to faulty behavior and mindset.  You have a faulty foundation.

Sometimes people suffer because they have trauma, they refuse to face and heal.  As I stated, ignoring it will do nothing, and no, time does not heal all wounds.  It is what you do with that time that will.

I am a strong believer that you do not have to accept something and deal with it because it "runs in the family". That's the mentality that has many people stuck. It ran into the family until it ran into me. I am cutting the pattern off and I hope you will be motivated to do the same too.

Yes, you can reverse the high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes. You do not have to be on pills for the rest of your life. I heard that there is a saying in medicine that It’s dangerous when you don't know what you don't know.

Ignorance is not bliss.  Many of us are suffering because we do not know what foundation was built by our families before us.  Or we repeat the behavior then act confused like we do not know why we are overweight and broke. We are also not building a firm foundation as well.

Now, sometimes before we build, we may have to tear down first. Teardown whatever evil altar was built in our family bloodline.

Judges 6: 11-27

Gideon was also confused of the suffering Israel was going through. He said in verse 13…how many of us feel this way sometimes? That if Jesus is with me why is this happening. But the Lord told Gideon he will use him to deliver Israel and in verse 15 Gideon felt he was too weak. But the Lord loves using the weak because in our weakness he is made strong. If you think you are not strong enough to get this burden off your family trust in the Lord. He will help you tear down and rebuild.  I want to focus on verses 24 -27.

After Gideon built the altar to the Lord. The Lord told him he needed to first tear down the altar of Baal that his father built. Then build an altar onto the Lord on top of it. Many of us probably have altars from our father or father’s father that have not been torn down yet.  Maybe your parents are believers but were your grandparents or great grandparents’ believers. Were they Catholics, of other faiths, idol worshippers or practice voodoo. 

 Have these altars been struck down? If not, this can be why your foundation is faulty.  You need to tear down and pray against all those things in your bloodline that is not of God. Things that were done in your family’s history. We must do what the Lord assigned Jeremiah to do in Jeremiah 1:10

When you rebuild with Christ as the cornerstone, the troubles and challenges of life won't knock you down so easily.

As I stated much earlier, we will need to ask the Lord what is at the root? What foundation do I need to tear down. Most of us don’t know our family history like that and that’s exactly how the enemy wants it.  He wants us ignorant, and God said in Hosea 4:6 that my people perish because of a lack of knowledge. Also, many of us have been trained from generation to generation to keep our secrets in the dark.  But if it stays in the dark the enemy can always use it because he is in the dark and likes the dark. 

We need to shine a light on that thing and let it be revealed. And ask the Lord to let there be light on your situation so you can see. You can only heal what has been revealed. Stop hiding in the dark and let there be light.  

And if you cannot hear from the Lord then you need to seek more and go deeper.  I understand why God does not reveal everything to us.  Some people against the faith say well if God is real why doesn’t he reveal himself. First, he did, like in so many ways and many miss Him.  Jesus spoke in parables and mysteries, because our pursuit shows if we really want it. 

Are you going to give up every time it gets a little hard or are you going to seek his face.  You can tell when someone really wants something and how hungry they are for it by the way they pursue it. Naysayers who are against deliverance ministries will say, "Well the Lord does not heal everybody". So does that mean we should stop preaching healing and seeking it.

I will seek the Lord for whatever until he says no, until it happens or until I die. Those are the only options, stopping is not one of them. I also want to have faith like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego. That even if the Lord doesn’t heal me, I will not stop worshipping him. My worship is not predicated on what God do for me. But I still believe that God can and is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine. As it says in Ephesians 3:20. It is and/both not either/or.

I worship him because he is God and deserving.  That’s it. And because I know he can do exceedingly more than I could ever ask or imagine. I will keep seeking and believing for the best. Because if we who are evil can give good gifts (Matthew 7:11). Now imagine how much more and better the gifts God gives to those who ask. God is the greatest and best gift giver ever. 

You know how much someone wants something by the way they pursue it.  Are you hungry enough? Desperate enough? Willing to do the work to find out what is going on in your life. What foundations do I need to tear down, destroy and pluck up. So, I can then rebuild properly on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. Now my children and children’s children can benefit from generational blessings. 

Is your foundation faulty?  Are you trying to live life with an altar to Jesus and something else you idolize.

Are you fighting to tear down anxiety, depression, schizophrenia and other mental illnesses in your family?  Or are you claiming it and continuing the faulty patterns. Are you fighting to tear down the bad parenting you grew up with? So your children do not have all the same issues you had and possibly more. Are you fighting to build something healthier for you and your generations to come.

What altar have you built in your life.  Who do you really serve?  Jesus came to set the captives free but many times we go right back into our captivity. Or never really allowed him to completely set us free. We cannot blame God for our problems and question if he is there when we won’t put in the work to build with Him.

Psalm 127:1 NLT

Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.

Do not waste your time building your house without the Lord. Because when the challenges of life come, you will not be able to stand. If you are constantly being broken down by every trouble in life and do not feel firm in the Lord. Then ask yourself, is my foundation faulty?  Do I need to tear down and rebuild?  Rebuild and make sure Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone of the house I build. If Jesus is our foundation, then everything else you build on top of it will not be done in vain and will prosper.

Consider going to therapy and be deliberate about processing and discussing these foundations. Tearing it down and building up something better, with someone to support you through it.