Watery paint!

 

Seeing the building work going on at the church and having seen concrete slabs and foundations being laid, I was reminded of how important it is to have a good basis on which to build. After all, a building can look spectacular, grand and inspiring when built. However, if after a while cracks appear or things start to creak and not fit properly, then you would start to question how solid the building is.
 
All of this reminded me of an occasion when I had to paint out the inside of a rather grand shed. The problem was it wasn’t to have a great deal of money spent on it.
 
So, going to a well-known DIY store, I purchased a huge tub of white paint which was very reasonably priced and thought that would be a good way to keep costs down on the job, so I went away happy!
 
On breaking the seal on the tub of paint and lifting the lid I was really pleased to see this white paint which didn’t seem cheap and runny but looked thick and creamy, ideal for the job. Up until then all was well, so I dipped my brush into this thick paint and attacked the job in hand. Imagine my horror and disappointment that as soon as the fully loaded paintbrush touched the wall the paint seemed to go thin, watery, had no colour and really only made a sticky wet mark on the wall! As soon as the paint was applied it seemed to have no guts to it and try as hard as I could I soon realised the paint just had no firm basis. I immediately went back to the store, not exactly feeling a happy bunny and on seeing the manager I told him about the lack of quality to the paint. To which the reply came back, “it was only a cheap paint”. After a few moments of ‘debate’ I received my money back saying that it may have looked thick and great, but had no real foundation like a more expensive range of paint.
 
The simple message of this ‘thought’ is, how are we. Do we try to look good, clocking in every Sunday at 10.30am and clocking out at 12 o’clock, putting on our best face and smile and saying and doing all the right things. Now that’s not a good foundation on which to build our lives.
 
I am reminded that Jesus is the cornerstone of our lives and is our Firm Foundation, see Ephesians 2:20-21. In Isaiah 28 we read a prophesy about Jesus, where it says, “See I lay a precious stone in Zion, a tested stone, a precious cornerstone for a sure foundation, the one who trusts (in this cornerstone) will never be dismayed”.
 
Aren’t you glad that we have an unchanging God who wants to be the foundation of your life?