Temporary Foundations

“On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand.”

We have all heard this hymn. We have most likely sung it passionately at church or other events. But I have never fully grasped the fragility of life and how little control I have as a human.

We know that God is our foundation. We know that He is our rock and that He is everlasting.

So why do we tend to struggle with the design that every earthly thing will eventually vanish?

In March, I was scheduled to have a game with my ultimate frisbee team, and all the captains were consistently texting with the other captains to figure out if we had to cancel our game.

Covid infiltrated the news. We knew that it might affect our game, but it still seemed to be a foreign thing that couldn’t possibly affect us. Later that day, our game was canceled.

Fast forward to March 13th, and the entire season was canceled. My church, job, socializing with friends, vacations, Teenpact events, all of it was canceled! The sandy grains of normalcy quickly eroded. Each morsel and piece of my life shifted and disintegrated in this typhoon called Covid. I realized how, in an instant, everything that I held onto so tightly could vanish. This season of life rocked my faulty foundation. Everything I usually did was taken in a matter of two days.

Something I’ve heard at my church is, “God sometimes has to put you flat on your back, so you will finally be looking in the right direction.” God was waking me up to realize life on earth is temporary.

James 4:14 says,

“Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.”

Psalm 90:12 says,

“Only by reflecting on the fragility of life will I ever develop the right perspective of life…”

I love control (I’m an enneagram one for anyone who likes studying personality types.) I want to know what to expect. I want to have a plan and a schedule. I’m not too fond of it when plans change, and when they do, I lose that sense of peace. I want dominion over things that could be taken so fast. I find peace in knowing that I have control over the earthly things in my life. I realized how much contentment I found in knowing what to expect. Why am I trying to find satisfaction and security in things that could be taken from me tomorrow, in a week, or a year?

The poet C.T Studd said, “twill soon be past, Only what’s done for Christ will last.”

Life is fragile. Things on earth are temporary.

We never know what tomorrow will look like. We will never know what the next day brings.

Job 8:9 says, “For we are but of yesterday and know nothing, for our days on earth are a shadow.” I often find peace in the fact that I know what to expect.

You cannot expect God to be the source of your peace if the world is the source of your satisfaction.

If you think about sinking sand, it is unexpected—the same thing with life. I never expect the things in my life to vacillate. I vehemently do not want them to. Throughout this season, I became conscious of how much time I spent doing something that could be taken away instantly. Devote time with the One who will always be there. Stop consuming so much time doing the things that will wither away.

Editor’s Note: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official views of TeenPact Leadership Schools. To learn more about our Vision & Values, please visit teenpact.com/vision-values/.